


Zoopery (Noun): Experimentation on Zoo Animals

by CoffeeQuills



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Blood and Injury, Blood and Torture, Blood and Violence, Dark, Hurt/Comfort, Mad Scientists, Multi, Torture, enough warnings?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-04-16 05:08:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 32,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14157447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeQuills/pseuds/CoffeeQuills
Summary: A beautiful day with a private trip to the renovated zoo becomes part of a nightmare; Wild Tiger, Dragon Kid, and Rock Bison are captured by a scientist with strange NEXT powers. While Kotetsu forces the villain to focus their razor-sharp attention on him, Rock Bison and Dragon Kid try to come up with an escape plan that will save them all. They fail.





	1. Pao-Lin's Plan

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Tiger & Bunny in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters, settings, and plots.
> 
> Author's Warning: This is a dark fic involving torture, blood, and injury; if you don't like, don't read.

_This is going to be great!_ Pao-Lin thought to herself, sucking on the outside of a candy apple.  _I'm so lucky I won those tickets!_

Fallen leaves crunched, bringing warm colors to a dark-brown path made out of recycled rubber path, as three pairs of feet kept on walking.

"I haven't been here for years," rumbled Antonio, cracking his neck as he looked around. The fall day was still warm enough that he'd forgone a jacket and was wearing just an orange shirt. "Looks like they've cleaned this place up pretty well. It used to be all cages and cracked concrete." 

She shivered. There were still old pictures of how the zoo had looked, put next to recent ones of how the areas were being completely redone, and the originals were bleak, cheerless places to be for life. Animal prison.

_Poor things. I mean, if they have to live in a cage, then it should be as close to their original habitat as possible._

"And they've completely redesigned the tiger exhibit!" cheered Kotetsu, pumping his fist up in excitement. "I can't wait to see it!" 

Pao-Lin nodded, her eyes crinkling in happiness as she kept chewing on the candy apple that was in her hand.

_Hmm... Nathan was right, this outfit isn't so bad._

Daisies bloomed all over the black jumpsuit, half of them yellow and half of them white, both colors seeming to pop. Something that Nathan had pointed out as a great combination of male and female energy, which had been the last straw for a weakening Pao-Lin. After that statement, she'd snatched it from Nathan's hand, thrown it over her arm, and announced that shopping was over.

"Thanks for inviting us," said Antonio. "It's a shame the others couldn't make it." 

She shrugged and rolled her eyes. 

 _Same old same old. Karina has signing practice, Barnaby is scheduled for a photo shoot, Keith has an interview, Ivan's visiting Edward, and Nathan..._ Pao-Lin sighed _. I have no idea what Nathan's up to, but I don't believe that they need to wash their hair. I just wanted us all to do something fun together._

"Their loss," said Kotetsu. He wandered over to the side of the path, leaning over the fenced area connecting the elephant exhibit to the tiger one. "Heh, maybe we should have dragged Bunny with us - guess what they have here?" 

"That one's blonde," Antonio pointed out. "We just need a red jacket and some glasses." 

Pao-Lin giggled at the mental image of a Barnaby Bunny, but she didn't stop eating the sticky, gooey apple. The rabbit Antonio had spotted crept a little closer to them, intrigued by Kotetsu clicking his tongue at it. 

"Did you want to go see tigers?" sighed Antonio, looking at his watch. "Or sit around making noises at a bunny? Because you can do that at the office anytime you want." 

_Antonio 1, Kotetsu 0!_

"Spoilsport," muttered Kotetsu. He dragged himself away from the fence and stuck his tongue out at his friend. 

"You can't be mad about seeing tigers," chuckled Antonio, weaving so that his shoulder knocked into Kotetsu's. "What's with the emptiness though?" 

_Oh yeah, I didn't tell them._

"I got special tickets," said Pao-Lin, finally freeing her teeth from the candy. "There was a raffle, and I won a free day at the zoo for ten of my friends. They'll open back up to the public tomorrow."

"Was it just you as the winner? I haven't really seen anyone else here." Kotetsu looked around, then sprinted toward a light pole, jumping just high to see, and with enough force to let him swivel around. "Yeah... no one except us. Not even any staff or zookeepers." 

"Hey, Kotetsu. Do you see what I see?" 

Kotetsu straightened up, going to point as if he was a bird dog. 

"Where? What's wrong?" 

Antonio and Pao-Lin froze. 

_Whoa... I didn't realize he was so wound up._

"You really need to relax." Antonio grabbed Kotetsu by the shoulders and spun him around. "Look around you. It's a gorgeous autumn day, we're at the zoo when it's not crowded, and Agnes hasn't hit us with the crime of the day yet. Stop stressing and looking around for an emergency. Take some time to enjoy life." 

"Seriously," agreed Pao-Lin with a nod, biting back into her treat. 

Kotetsu sighed, and without the apple in her mouth, Pao-Lin was tempted to sigh with him. 

_Hopefully he can see the truth in what we're saying though._

Strong rays of sunshine shone down, and their earlier lunch of Chinese had been great with at least five different types of fried rice; she and Kotetsu had sampled them all. 

_And he's got the two of us to hang out with on a day off._

"You're right, both of you." He shrugged as they rolled their eyes, smiling and rubbing the back of his head. "I don't know, I just feel as if something bad's on the horizon." 

"Not a cloud in sight," Antonio pointed out. 

_Crystal blue all the way!_

"Good food and friends," added Pao-Lin, waving half the candy apple in his direction. 

_Both old and new._

"Okay, okay," he chuckled, holding up his hands. "You're right. Maybe... maybe I'm just a little stressed." 

Antonio burst out laughing as Pao-Lin almost choked on her bite. 

"A little? Come on tiger, let's go see your namesakes. They probably can show you a few ways to relax." 

_Tigers are so cute when they're swimming._

Kotetsu rolled his eyes, but let his old friend guide him into the tunnel, Pao-Lin trailing behind. It started at the top of a hill, and let them look out into the newly enclosed Savannah. Several of the big cats were playing around in the grass, a few of them were swimming, and two of them in the back were...

"See, that's how to relax," rumbled Antonio. Pao-Lin saw him turn back to look at her, so she cooed at the young one that had come up to the glass, ignoring him but curious to where the conversation was heading. "Fucking is always a relaxing activity." 

_Ugh, of course. With the adults it's always about sex. Sex or drinking._

"Not when one person doesn't want to," mumbled Kotetsu, tearing his eyes away from the two. 

"You haven't changed since high school. You remember you've gotta ask the person to get an actual response, right?" Now it was Antonio's time to sigh. "We went through this with Tomoe, remember? You swore she hated you for being a troublemaker, but she didn't. Do I need to kidnap Barnaby and set the building on fire? I'll do it again, and this time on purpose so you can rescue him." 

_... is that how to get girls? Also, how do you kidnap and set a fire accidentally?_

"Please don't." Kotetsu shook his head. "Besides, he'd probably give you a lecture." 

The two of them fell silent. 

_Right, this is raining on my parade._

"You two look down," said Pao-Lin, tossing her apple core into a trash bin nearby. "I thought today was supposed to be a fun one?" 

Kotetsu took a deep breath. 

 _Still stressed. I'm not sure if I ever want to be an adult._  

"Just talking about love and romance." 

_Huh?_

"I thought you guys were talking about the tigers having sex." 

She laughed as Antonio took an elbow to the stomach, the bigger man chuckling. 

"You're too young to be thinking of that," sighed Kotetsu, ruffling Pao-Lin's hair around the flower clip she had pinned. "Come on, let's go deeper into the tunnel. The guide says that there are places we can pop our heads into the exhibit." 

"It's a part of life," she muttered, scowling up at him. "Like poop. Everybody poops, everybody has sex." 

"Not quite," corrected Antonio. "But Nathan's a better explainer of that than I am. It pretty much it comes down to shitting is needed to live and sex isn't, but many people think it is." 

Kotetsu smacked Antonio on the back of his head; Pao-Lin tried to hide her giggles.

"Topic change."

"Which one of you is the adult again?" muttered Antonio, rubbing the area of impact. He winked at Pao-Lin and she snickered. "Besides, you're going to have to have this conversation with Kaede at some point." 

_Oh yeah... ha, that's why Antonio's so amused!_

"Don't remind me," groaned Kotetsu, rubbing his face.

_Tiger looks like he'd rather be hung._

"Come on Kotesu, let's go look at the tigers," laughed Pao-Lin, taking pity on the older man. "The map says the first hole is straight in front of us." 

The three of them kept walking, the hill they had been going up now heading downwards and letting the tiger enclosure spread out over the top. Inside the man-made tunnel it was cooler, the air not a dry as it was outside, and quiet except for their voices. 

_This place is really cool!_

"This would be a great place in summer," sighed Pao-Lin. "Too hot? Just come here to chill out." 

"You and the rest of Stern Bild," muttered Kotetsu. "Though, if enough people go to the waterfront, it might not be as crowded as I'm thinking." 

"Look! There's the first hole!" 

A spiraling set of stairs , led them to the top of the viewing platform, which was built into a grassy hill, three small windows letting them peek into the private lives of tigers. 

_This. Is. Amazing! I've gotta come back here with Karina and Ivan_

"Nothing on my side," said Kotetsu, diasapointed. "You guys?" 

_I've got the best view then!_

"There's one sleeping right n front of me..." breathed Pao-Lin. "And he's huge! Can you believe we're this close to to a real tiger?!"

Kotetsu laughed, but nodded. 

"There's also something called 'Smell Interaction'?" he added, looking at a few small holes. "The holes near the window let them sniff us out."

"And vice versa - I can certainly smell them," laughed Antonio. The other two nodded; the musky scent wasn't cloying, but it did dominate the small space.

_Like when I've been practicing really hard and **need** a shower._

"Hey, there's another bubble where the cubs are playing near the river!" 

Without a word Kotetsu and Pao-Lin ducked out and sped off, leaving Antonio ehind to make his way there. 

"This one's even better!" whispered Pao-Lin after scrambling up the ladder, her eyes shinning with excitement. "The cubs aren't afraid of it, so they're playing right next to us!" 

_I kinda wish I could play with them._

Just as she thought that, one of the little ones pounced over, batting at the plastic.

"That's too adorable," rumbled Antonio. "I've got three of them on my side mock-fighting." 

"Reminds me of us and Tomoe," chuckled Kotetsu.

They each stayed at their windows, watching.

"Hey, do you guys hear a hissing sound?" Antonio started to look around , probably for where the noise was coming from. 

_No, but..._

"It smells a bit better in here," noted Pao-Lin. "Less tigery, a little sweeter." 

"Sweeter?" echoed both Kotetsu and Antonio.

A zipping sound cut through the hissing; walls slid down from the ceiling trapping them on the stairs as the window area was covered. the effect was encasement in a metal prison.

_But-but this is a public area!_

"I've got this!" said Kotetsu, his eyes flashing blue. He punched the wall - and did absolutely no damage. 

_I didn't think that was possible..._

The second, and third punch just confirmed the same result. "What are hell are these made of!?"

"Pao-Lin, get closer to the floor," instructed Antonio, crouching and holding a hand over his mouth. "Shallow breaths." 

_Hopefully the gas is rising._

"I. Can't. Get. Out!" Kotetsu punctuated each word with another fist to the wall. "Dammit!" 

He coughed, surprise on his face. A shaky hand went to his throat even as the coughing continued.

_Kotetsu!?  It can't be effecting us this quickly!_

"Kotetsu?"

The dry hacking pulled the Japanese man down to his knees and left his arm hanging from the edge of the stairs. 

_It's hitting him faster than us - was he closer to it?_

Pao-Lin crawled closer to Kotetsu, trying to hear if the gas was louder. The air itself seemed to have a shimmer to it

"Can't... wake..." he said She turned to see him looking straight at Antonio, head drooping. "Can't. Can't keep. Sleepy." Brown eyes rolled back into his head, and then his body went limp.

"Kotetsu!" 

"Pao-Lin, send a message-" Antonio bit off his words as his own coughing jab commenced, but leaned forward to check on Kotetsu. 

 _Of course!_ Pao-Lin wanted to kick herself for not thinking of that earlier. She quickly sent out an SOS... and then watched as her communicator said the message wasn't sent.

"It's not going," she said, jabbing at her wrist band. "Antonio, it's not sending?!"

_Is the metal blocking me?_

"'s fine," he rasped at her with a smile, settling down in a comfortable position. 

_Um, no, I think this is the opposite of 'fine.'_

"Listen. Tiger's alive. This gas-" he coughed again, hunching over to try and regain his breath. "Makes ya sleepy." 

"Someone's trying to capture us." Pao-Lin stated the obvious, then coughed at the end of her sentence, surprised. 

_Of course it's already hitting me. This space is really small, the gas is starting to get concentrated._

"Antonio?" 

No answer.

_Probably the same, but I need to try._

"Kotetsu?"

_Crap. Not the fun day... I had... in... mind..._

Pao-Lin felt it when her body began to shut down. Arms, too heavy to lift, stayed in her lap. Eyes blinked, trying to throw off drowsiness, but it still kept coming. Finally, she hunkered down, wedging herself onto the stairwell in such a way that she wouldn't fall over. And then it was her turn to go to sleep. 


	2. Sky High's Hopes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Author's Warning: This is a dark fic that will involve torture, blood, and injury in later chapters; if you don't like, don't read.
> 
> Author's Note: Thank you for your patience all, and enjoy the next chapter!

Sky High jetted over the battle, directing vortexes and whirlwinds to where they would do the most damage, but also trying not to hit any of his friends that were below. It was a tactic that always started out easy, until tempers flared, injuries were collected, and Heroes forgot to keep an eye on him as well as the enemy. Which was why he always had his communicator open up in the wind, no matter the complaints of white noise.

"Barnaby, behind you!"

_And that is exactly the reason why._

The pink suit zipped out of the way, circling back to deliver an uppercut to the golem that had tried to attack. They raised two fingers in a victory sign, then bounded off to take down another. Sky High returned to watching the field.

_Where are all these things coming from?_

"We need to find the person making these," Origami Cyclone commented, abruptly shifting to a lower height. An incoming fist sailed over his helmet, and he took advantage of the miss to duck away, retreating to a safer place.

"We're also severely lacking in support," said Fire Emblem, entering the conversation. Sky High shook his head in disbelief as a golem walked through their fire.

_Down three people, and fire doesn't stop them. When Barnaby's power runs out, we're going to be in trouble._

"Handsome, any idea where your partner is?"

Barnaby grunted, shooting his grappling hook. It speared a golem in the chest, and with a massive yank, the Hero whipped it into a second.

"Went to the zoo... with Dragon Kid... and Rock."

_That's right. I forgot they were going today._

"Who are also missing," pointed out Blue Rose, a wave of ice sweeping up from a nearby stream to freeze several of the ugly things in place. They squirmed, reaching out and grasping with thick fingers, even though they couldn't walk close enough to grab her and she was smart enough to keep away. "Fire Emblem, your power-"

"Is not working, I know dear." They looked over at the younger woman. "These creatures are a little too fire resistant for me. Did you have a suggestion?"

Ice guns went off, one shot missing even as the other one drilled an icicle into the creature's brain. Blue Rose wasn't having a problem.

“You might be the best person to find the NEXT. Stop these things in their tracks.”

_A good strategy. If they can't help in strength, maybe they can help in intelligence._

Fire Emblem let loose one of their strongest fire bombs, then stepped back to take in the damage. Far up in the clouds, Sky High could see nothing.

_A scorch mark, of course, but it keeps on moving, just as strong as before._

“Agreed. Sky, darling." Fire Emblem waved, though they were easy to pick out on the green ground with their red, orange, and yellow color combination. "Could you blow me a pathway to the gas station? They seem thickest there, and maybe the gas can help in a pinch.”

Sky High nodded, then chuckled.

_Gotta remember that one one can see me from down there, even if I can see them. Well, maybe others with helmets can, if their interfaces do displays._

“Happy to help Fire Emblem,” he said, already turning his arms to face the proposed area. "And again, happy to help."

A small part of his mind kept them in view, wincing when a few surprise golem hits landed, but most of his concentration was on the wind. The stream he was making was getting harder to maintain, which either meant there was another wind user battling against him, or that he was getting weaker and running out of energy.

_There's only the one NEXT user, so I think I overtaxed myself trying to hold back the whole golem army earlier._

"Hurry," he whispered, the breeze taking his words and blowing them apart immediately.

_That was okay, these were words not meant to be shared._

"And again, hurry. I'm not sure how well we'll fare if this fight continues."

Green appeared in a wave of orange; he still had enough power to shove those heavy things out of the way, even if he couldn't hold them back. Sky High watched as Fire Emblem ran up the path he'd created, the others protecting them from giant hands and feet. He sucked in a quick breath when it looked like they're gone under a stone hand, but Blue Rose had enclose Fire Emblem in an ice wall, and they were okay.

"Thanks!" they called out while ducking a few of the quicker golems. Sky High groaned when the door opened with a bellish tinkle, ruining the element of surprise, but then they were gone, going deeper into the gas station.

_Are they in there? It was only a guess..._

Mere minutes later there was an unearthly scream. The door slammed open, and a young man ran out the front door with their hands clasped to their ass, howling in pain.

_Bingo!_

"That fuckin' bitch just set me on fire!"

Sky High frowned, zooming a bit nearer as the others closed in as well, all of the battered Heroes looking to end this fight.

_Where is Fire Emblem?_

"Where's Fire Emblem?" Origami Cyclone asked, echoing Sky High's thoughts and looking worriedly to the building. Training kept him tightening circle, but his thoughts were clearly not on the man they were about to capture.

_Capture first, rescue later._

"Poor you," cooed Blue Rose. She smiled at the man, sharp and without warmth. "Let me help. My ice is a little cold, but your crime has been put completely on hold!" The trademarked catchphrase was followed by a shot from one of her ice guns.

The man froze, trapped up to his neck. Sky High kept himself a few feet above the ground, just in case there were any more surprises.

_Landing feels as if the fights over, but I have an unsettling feeling it's not. And Fire Emblem still hasn't come out._

"There," chirped Blue Rose. "No longer on fire, problem solved."

"Th-tha-thanks," their criminal stammered, breath frosty in the autumn wind.

"Now, let's talk about the 'bitch' who set you on fire. They're my friend." Blue Rose created an icicle, twirling it between her fingers. "So what did you do to Fire Emblem?"

"Tra-trapped them. Tried to... tried to... get away. They stopped me."

_And feeling confirmed._

Sky High pushed off hard for the gas station, Origami Cyclone running after him. The wind master was the first there, setting down and yanking the door open, hard enough that the bell broke. The two of them fully entered the store area, looking around for a golem, or a struggling friend. What they found instead were toppled shelves laying atop a whole bunch of other items in the middle of the floor, and scorch marks against the wall.

_... this doesn't look good..._

"Fire Emblem?!"

"Where are you?"

_They could be in another room, but given how quickly the criminal was flamed out, they're probably under that pile._

"Origami, help me!" snapped Sky High, dashing forward. He began to pick up and throw things behind him, trying to uncover any sign of Fire Emblem. The items ranged from heavy car batteries to wrenches; all of the shelves had apparently belonged in the automotive repair section. The younger Hero joined him, and together the two of them lifted up one of the shelving units, then began to shovel more debris away: windshield wiper jugs, antifreeze bottles, and even jumper cables. There. A small piece of red fabric poking out.

_Of course._

As much as the Sky High didn't want to be right, he knew who it belonged to.

After a few more minutes, they finally cleared enough away to see the object of their frantic search, hands wrapped around their head in an effort to protect themselves. A small cut on their lip was bleeding, and their shoulder looked displaced, but other than that, there were no obvious injuries.

_I'm far from a nurse though._

"Fire Emblem?" Sky High coughed, then started sending out a slight breeze to clear the air of dust. "Fire? You okay?"

"They don’t look okay," said Origami Cyclone, exchanging a worried glance with Sky High. "They're not responding."

_Could be worse. Has been worse in the past._

“Guys?" Blue Rose's voice come over the communicator. "Did you find them? Do you need some help?”

“They’re still breathing, and there doesn't seem to be any blood." He shot a look back to the fire wielder. "Well, any worrisome signs of blood.” Sky High tried to put on a reassuring tone. “Agnes, we’ll need an ambulance for Fire Emblem, we're in the gas station.”

“Figured that might be the case,” replied their eye in the sky. "It's one the way. Four minutes."

The door opened behind them.

“After the ambulance gets here, what’s the plan?” asked Barnaby, taking off his mask behind Blue Rose. The two of them stood in front of the doorway, trying not to crowd the area.

It took several seconds after Barnaby had asked the question, and then Sky High realized everyone was staring at him. Waiting for his answer.

_But... Fire Emblem's the best at commanding. Wild Tiger's just as skilled at motivating our hearts, probably even more so, and Rock Bison's surprisingly solidly steady as a leader._

_And with all of them unable to lead_ his inner voice whispered _the job falls to me as the most senior and veteran Hero among those left._

Sky High looked at the three others watching him. He took a deep breath.

“Wild Tiger wouldn’t have missed a call.” _There 's nothing that would keep Tiger from being a Hero._ He didn’t say it, but he didn’t want to, and he didn't have to. They all knew it.

“Neither would Dragon Kid,” added Origami Cyclone.

“Let’s just skip me adding Rock Bison's name and wondering if something’s wrong," snapped Blue Rose, her eyebrows drawn together and her lips pressed into a firm line. "We already know something is, so what are we going to do about it?"

_I hope I'm as good as crafting plans as they are._

Sky High nodded.

“Agreed, and again, agreed.” He looked to make sure the helicopter wasn't shining its camera through the windows, then took off his helmet. Shook sweat from his head and moved the hair that had stuck to the front of his face. “Fire Emblem wouldn’t want us to waste time. However, we’re not going to leave them to wake up alone.”

He looked at each of them. Blue Rose. Origami Cyclone. And Barnaby.

_All of them are young. Too young._

“How long until your power recharges?”

“Little under an hour.”

There was a groan from behind them. Origami Cyclone walked over to crouch next to Fire Emblem and cajole them to open their eyes.

“I think it’s very likely Fire Emblem will wake up in that time. Stay with them, but come join us when you can, with them if that's possible.”

The blonde frowned, shaking his head.

"No. My partner's missing, I'm not going to be on the sidelines." He pointed at Origami Cyclone and Blue Rose. "Have one of them stay, they can at least throw up a defense against flames if Fire Emblem lashes out. I'm going to the zoo and looking for Tiger. To have missed a call, he's either injured or captured, and he needs help!"

_No!_

"Barnaby." Sky High moved to stand directly in front of him. "They're not going to the zoo either. No one is for about an hour."

Questions and cries of why erupted from the three Heroes. Sky High waited, letting them work through their fears and frustrations.

_Here it goes._

"If we're going to find them, then we need to do it smart, not just run in. Yes, that's normally how Wild Tiger prefers to deal with things, but I don't have his luck."

Barnaby snorted, Blue Rose smiled, and even Origami Cyclone chuckled. Sky High had an image in his head of Tiger tripping, and kicking Jake in the head.

_Tiger had been the first one to hit Jake, and that had been a pure accident..._

"If you don't want to stay with Fire Emblem, however, that's fine," Sky High moved on smoothly. "Origami Cyclone can fit into the ambulance, so truthfully, that swap is better. Go talk to Saito-san about our communicators, see if there's a way we can track them down like that. Blue Rose, you know which zoo they went to, right?"

She nodded.

"When Dragon Kid asked me if I wanted to join them, she told me she'd won tickets. Their PR personnel should be able to give you some information, such as if only one section of the zoo was open to them, if they had to be out by a certain time, information like that."

"Do you think they left the zoo?"

_I have no idea._

"It's a possibility we should look into," said Sky High. "That they might not still be at the zoo."

"That's us, but what about you?" asked Origami Cyclone, raising his voice over the growing sirens.

"Me?" Sky High smiled and put his helmet back on, dropping the grin as soon as he could. "I'm going to go see a judge about any threats or demands that may have been received while we were busy here. We'll meet at the entrance to the zoo in an hour, but no one's to enter it until we're all there and ready."

There were some begrudging noises of agreement, mostly from Barnaby, but the plan was settled. They split up, Origami staying with Fire Emblem, Blue Rose and Barnaby going back to their trailers. Sky High took to the blue that was his true home. He started off in the direction of Stern Bild's Administration of Justice building, and flew as quick as he could for a few minutes.

_Okay, I should be out of everyone's sight by now._

Executing an abrupt switch, Sky High set off toward the Stern Bild's Zoo and Aquarium.

_Barnaby, Blue Rose, and even Origami Cyclone are still new to being Heroes. Young at heart. They haven't seen what the rest of us have, people at their worst, villains striking out at us only because we're Heroes._

He poured on the speed.

_They didn't wake up some nights covered in sweat, hearts pounding from nightmares taking fertile root in their brains._

Barnaby's words came back to him.

 _Sure, captured is bad. Injuries are worse. But neither of those are_ **_the_ ** _worst._

"Please don't be dead," Sky High whispered, well away from where any of them could hear. Sometimes, he felt as if the sky listened to him and took his hopes into consideration.

_Let today be one of those times._

"And again, please don't be dead.”


	3. Kotetsu's Knockdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Kotetsu is referring to manga events, when Antonio was grievously injured after helping Barnaby and Kotetsu escape Jake, and his survival was uncertain.

Kotetsu groaned, his head rolling forward to hit something hard. Cold. 

_Cold? Weird..._

"Wha-?" Each beat at his temples set off a pounding headache behind his eyes, colors exploding like rapid fireworks.

"You okay?" rumbled Antonio. He wasn't sounded well rested either. More like Friday and Saturday nights that had gotten out of control. 

_Did we drink too much again?_

"'Tonio?" He opened his eyes. Bright white gleamed back. 

_Like hell we're at home._

Not the apartments then. Not his brother's shop, nor any of the bars they frequented. The fuzzy vertical stripes slipped into focus; he was in a cage. Kotetsu looked around, ignoring the pain that ratcheted up in his head - all of them were in three different cages. "Where are we?" 

"No idea." His old friend hesitated, bringing a hand to his own head. "How much do you remember?" 

"The tiger exhibit, metal sliding down-hey!" 

Kotetsu broke off, looking around the place with fresh eyes. The room was spacious, sounded as if it was well ventilated, and with a few exceptions, most notably a brown section of metal flooring, was a shiny, new-white color all around. Something was in the middle of the brown area, covered in white, and there was a table near it, not too far away from a control panel.

"This doesn't look like any of the buildings we saw when we came in." 

"It's not." Antonio paused. " think we're underground." 

_Do our communicators work?_

Kotetsu went to touch his, but found only an untanned area on his arm.  

"Hey, old cow. Got your communicator?"

It only took a few seconds for Antonio to shake his head.

"Taken. Yours too?" 

He nodded, opening his mouth to say something, but then the two of them went quiet as a sound grew louder. Squeaking wheels. Kotetsu watched the door he could see from his cage. Squeaking became shriller, more frequent, then it stopped. The door burst open, bringing with it light and a silhouette. 

"Wonderful!" exclaimed a bright and cheery female voice. "So glad to see that two of you are awake!" 

Kotetsu craned his head to see where Pao-Lin was, but in his line of sight there was only a hand laid out on the floor of the third cage.

"Rock Bison?"  

_I hope she's okay..._

"She's breathing. I've got an eye on her," his friend muttered. Clearing his throat, he raised his voice. "What do you want with us?" Antonio asked the shadowy person.

_If a person didn't know him, they wouldn't realize that's his pissed off tone._

"You three of course!" She laughed, stepping away from the too-bright light and allowing them to see her. Short, wearing wire glasses, and looking a little underweight, she had frizzy, kinky blonde hair in pigtails, streaked with red. The theme continued to her long white lab coat. 

Kotetsu swallowed hard; the red trend continued to the clothes in splatters and smears. 

_Tell me that's not blood._

"I was a little worried that the others would come too, but it turned out perfectly."

"...who exactly do you think we are?" asked Kotetsu standing up. The cage allowed him his height with a few inches to spare, and he could almost stretch his arms completely out to the sides, but that was it. 

_Heh. Can't be any worse than that healing capsule Saito-san built._

"Heroes." She clicked her tongue, maneuvering the cart to something that was covered with a white sheet. Removing it with a flourish revealed something that looked like the bastard child of a dentist's chair and an electric chair. 

_That's freaky... I don't want to know what she needs that for._

"I mean, I wasn't planning on getting Heroes right off the bat, I thought that would take some time, but it's nice when life hands you something sweet every once in a while. 

"What makes you think we're Heroes?" came a rumbling question.

"Your bracelets went off." She stepped closer to Rock Bison's cage. "And when I watched Hero TV, there were three people missing. She's Dragon Kid, he's Wild Tiger, and you're Rock Bison. Easy peasy lemon squeezy." 

Kotetsu exchanged glances with Antonio. 

"Oowwwww," groaned a small voice. "My head... what happened?" 

"And now all three of you are awake!" She smiled again. "Perfect! Let me introduce myself, my name's Trixie, and you're all going to help me make myself stronger."

"No," said Kotetsu immediately, "we're not." 

_Over my dead body._

"Well, I guess it's okay to say 'no,'" Trixie said, turning to study him with curiosity, her eyes flicking over his entire body. "But, just to let you know, you'll still be able to help me, so there's no worry about that." 

"Why did you capture us?" asked Antonio, settling himself on the floor of his cage, and leaning against the bars. Kotetsu could see him stretching his legs, pushing against the steel at the front of the cage. 

_Heh, good ole Rock. He's testing to see if he can break out._

"And you okay Dragon Kid?"

"Feeling pretty bad," she answered honestly, holding her head. "What hit me?" 

"Drugs," answered Kotetsu, glaring at Trixie.

_Who knows what concoction she used._

"Oh, come now," chided the woman, turning around to rearrange some of the items on the table behind her. Kotetsu couldn't see what they were exactly, but they glinted in the light every time she lifted one up. "It was a design of my own making, and it worked perfectly. Don't complain about not being dead."

_I don't have a good feeling about this._

"What exactly are you going to do with us?" Kotetsu narrowed his eyes. "And how do you think we're going to help you when we refuse?" 

"Not how, but why. And it's all due to my power," Trixie said, pushing her glasses up her further up her nose. "So, like I said earlier, you don't need to worry." 

"You're NEXT," commented Antonio, his voice flat as he made the connection a second earlier than Kotetsu. "Lovely." 

"I do think my gift is lovely, thank you," she answered, concentrating more on the objects in front of her. 

_Did I just see a bone saw?_

"What is your gift?" asked Kotetsu. "Trickery? Gassing innocent strangers just enjoying the day? Ooh, I know. Looking crazy." 

"Nope!" She turned around and giggled. "It's the best power for someone who works at a zoo. Zoopery!" 

The three Heroes exchanged puzzled glances. 

"Um... no idea. Sorry" 

"Never heard of it." 

_I don't think I want to know, but it looks like I'm the one to bite the bullet..._

"What's Zoopery?" asked Kotetsu.

She took a few steps toward the cages, her eyes lightning up and her smile growing wider.

"Zoopery is a noun, and it means  experimentation on zoo animals." Trixie stopped in front of Kotetsu's cage. "Hello, Tiger."

Dragon Kid sucked in a sharp breath, and Antonio exploded, huge hands wrapping around the steal bars and yanking on them. 

_I knew I had a bad feeling about this._ Kotetsu looked to his friends.

"And of course, I have a Dragon and a Bison as well. It's such a wonderful day for me!" She was gone again, going back to the instruments and laying them out.

_No! Come on Kotetsu think! How can you stop her?!_

"And what makes you think that you have a power with this, instead of just being a normal sociopath? Or is it psychopath?"

Trixie stopped. 

"Well, everything I've learnt is from after performing experiments on animals. I have an owl's night eyes, when I want them of course, they would hurt too much to have now, ha, with the lights on!" she was the only one who laughed at the joke. "I have a dog's sense of smell."

_I guess that explains the heavy-duty ventilation?_

"A cat's dexterity, a gorilla's strength, and even a hippo's unique body fluid to protect against sunburns. I've amassed a huge amount of animal instincts and protections."  

_Animals... she needs animals... come on think!_

"So, are there any volunteers?" The scientist turned to flash a grin. "Who wants to go first?" 

There was silence from the three unwilling captives. 

"If no one volunteers, then I'll have to pick someone myself. A mandateer as it were!" she chirped. 

A chuckle. Then a laugh. 

"What the hell are you laughin' 'bout?!" hissed Antonio. 

"We don't need to volunteer," said Kotetsu, his voice strong with confidence. "Is there any animal actually called a 'Rock Bison'? No. Then, if her power only works on animals, she can't use you. And Dragon Kid, ha! She's. A. Dragon. A fucking dragon. Those are legends, myths, non-existent. You're not going to get anything from her." 

He leaned back against the bars of his cage, grinning like a cat that'd gotten into the cream.

_There. That should work._

Now it was Trixie who was silent, her mouth open in disbelief. 

_And hopefully I'm right about this._

"You were happy to have us," continued Kotetsu, getting up to hang onto the bars, "because you can't actually operate on humans. Hell! I don't even think you  **can**  do anything to us; Dragon, Bison, and Tiger are only titles, it's not like we change into those creatures." 

He stopped talking, and the only sound louder than the vents was of ragged breathing. Trixie's eyes were wider behind her circular glasses, and her knuckles were white.

_Bingo. She can't use humans._

"So, you did all this for nothing," he continued, driving the point home. "And when we get out of these cages, we're going to arrest you." 

Trixie glared. She stalked over to the control panel and flipped a switch, smiling as Kotetsu cried out, cursing.

_Damn it I hate electricity!_

"Hey!" protested Antonio, moving closer, but not touching his own bars. "You okay?"

"Fine." Kotetsu winced a little, bringing a hand up to his head. "A little worse than when Dragon hits me during training."

There was a snort of laughter from behind Antonio. 

"I said I was sorry!"

"You might be right," Trixie said. 

Kotetsu turned his head, and she was close enough that he saw her eyes twinkling. 

_...they shouldn't look like that..._

"I might not be able to use Dragon Kid or Rock Bison. But you... you still fit the bill." The smile, if it was possible, got wider. "And seeing your passion, your willpower in action. That's exactly what I want."

"I'm not volunteering for anything," he said in a low, angry voice. 

_And you can't make me._

"Okay." Trixie left his area, then walked over between Antonio and Pao-Lin's cages, giving them both a once over. "Let's see... if I remember, your powers are electricity, and your powers are hardening your skin." 

"I can give you a demonstration if you want," said Pao-Lin flatly, watching the woman. She's been quiet, but by the tone of her voice, it was east to tell that she was just as pissed off as the the rest of them.

"Ooooh, yes!" said Trixie, almost bouncing up and down with excitement. "I'd love a demonstration! Please!"

Pao-Lin blinked. Antonio laughed. Kotetsu grinned.

"Heh. You heard our captor, might as well give her a demo she won't forget." 

"Yeah," added Kotetsu. "She asked for it, right?" 

_Then we'll just need to get out of these cages._  

The young Hero hesitated. 

"Um... you realize that I'm going to hit you with an electric attack, right?" 

"Aww, Dragon, why are you warning her?"

Trixie nodded. 

"Yep!" 

Pao-Lin gave the woman a weird look, but stood up, readying her hands for the attack... and failed to grow a ball of electricity. 

"What's wrong?" asked Antonio. 

"I can't... I can't make it," she answered, trying again and again, each time more frantic than the last one. "What happened to my power?!" 

"Calm down," said Kotetsu, taking in Trixie's widening grin. 

_Ugh. If it got any bigger, she'd look like a clown._

"Rock, what about-"

"-checking it," he said, pinching himself on the arm. Grimacing. "Mine's not working either." 

_Damn_!

Kotetsu did what he always did to power up, then grabbed the bars, screaming from the shock. Trixie ran over to the control panel and flipped a switch, turning it off and allowing the man to sink to his knees. 

"You guys know there's a black market for dealing in animal parts, right? No matter how rare the animal, there's a price. Working at the zoo lets me tap into that network." She twirled around, throwing her hands up. "It's how I could afford to make this on my salary." 

"So?" gasped Kotetsu, peeling his charred hands off of the bars with a sickening ripping sound. 

_Don't look, don't look, don't look._

"Sooo...." she continued, "and this is the part where you might care. There's a black market for almost anything. I found these really, really expensive components, and I had to pay a guy for his services since I'm not that good with technology, but those cages you're in?" 

All the Heroes began to eyes their bars and ceiling suspiciously. 

"They suppress NEXT abilities, so as long as you're in them, you can't use your powers." 

_Shit._

Kotetsu darted a nervous look at his friends. 

"Still unsure about volunteering, Tiger?" Trixie walked back to between Pao-Lin and Antonio's cages. "Rock Bison, give me your hand." 

He snorted. Trixie pulled a small gun out of her lab coat pocket.

"Give me your hand, or I shoot her." There was an appraising look. "She's so small, I'm not sure if I can make it an injury instead of a death."  

_...she's right... Antonio or I would have an easier time brushing aside a bullet, even without our powers._

"That's playing dirty," said Tiger in disgust.

"True. But since, as you pointed out, I only have one chance at this, so then I have to do everything I can to make sure it goes smoothly, right?" She turned back to Antonio. "Give me your hand." 

A low rumble in his throat, he did so, slotting it through the bar next to Trixie. 

_At least he didn't get electrocuted._

"Perfect." She took it, then with a sharp jab, stabbed him with a nail. Antonio clenched his  jaw, then took his hand back, inspecting it before wiping it on his pants. 

_What the hell?_

"Rock?" There was a worry starting to grip his stomach. "What was that?" 

"She drew blood." He stared at his hand. "Not much though. It's already stopped." 

_There's got to be something more to it than drawing blood._  

"What did you do to him?" asked Kotetsu, looking over at his friend. Antonio waved the hand, then let out a small grunt. He curled his fingers into a fist, then shook it out. Shook it again.

"Rock?" 

"Kinda cramping." 

"Have any of you heard of the deathstalker scorpion? No?" Trixie giggled. "It's only found in the desert, but luckily my zoo has a colony."

Kotetsu heard a hiss from his side, then a slight a gasp. 

"They carry a lot of neurotoxins, and after being stung by one, symptoms start with intense and unbearable pain." She blew a kiss towards Antonio. "Lucky you! After that you'll suffer from a fever, followed by a coma,  and then death. Oooh, and there will be some convulsions and paralysis before you die." 

_No!_

"No!" Kotetsu was at the bars again, close, but not touching them. "Give him an antidote, you must have one around here!" 

_I can't lose him too, not if I have a chance to save him!_

Trixie cracked her neck. 

"What's he worth to you?" 

_fuck... she's got me over a barrel._

"Don't Tiger." Antonio sucked in a breath and went to flex his arm again. "We'll find a way out of here, and I'll get an antidote that way." 

"You could try that," said Trixie, nodding in agreement. "It's a plan, and not a bad one. Though... I'm not sure how long he'll last before the fever engulfs him, but hey, that's okay. Just see him as another rival you're removing from your way." 

She stopped smiling. 

Kotetsu looked at Antonio. His friend refused to meet his gaze, instead looking down at his hand and glaring at that.

_I can't ... I can't just let him die._

Fine," he said, his voice low. "I'll do whatever you want me to do."

_And I'll have to put my trust in my friends._

"You can't do that Tiger!"

Antonio shook his head. 

"Yeah, don't let this bitch call the shots. I'll be fine, you know me." 

_Yeah... I know you..._

"I could always shoot the girl," Trixie offered, taking the gun out again. "Or... I have other means. We can go to those." 

"Let me make sure I understand this," Kotetsu said slowly, his brain spinning. "No matter what I say or do, you're going to threaten one, or both, of them so that I do what you want."

"Exactly. You're quick on the uptake."  Trixie said. 

"Lovely," muttered Kotetsu, pacing in his small cage. "Do you actually have an antidote?" 

She nodded. 

"Yep! I have several." 

"Tiger. Don't." 

Kotetsu winced. 

_His voice already sounds as if he's trying to hide the pain._

"What do you want me to do?" he asked, ignoring friendly voices telling him to stop being a moron and to not give himself over to her. 

"Two things. All I want is for you to take off your clothes, and sit down on my chair." She pointed to the dental nightmare one. 

_Of course. That one._

"What do I get in return?" asked Kotetsu. "I'm not volunteering, I want to make that very damn clear." 

"How about... me not shooting her?" 

He leveled a glare at the woman; she shrugged her shoulders. 

"It's an offer." 

"Tit for tat," said Kotetsu. "I give you something, you give me something. Of equal value." 

Now it was time for her to pace around the room, poking and prodding at things she had on display as she thought. 

“... I guess that could be arranged.” 

“What do I have to do for you to give him the antidote?” 

She shook her head.

“That’s too high a price to start with. How about I allow her to enter his cage so she can take care of him?”

“Dragon Kid?" Kotetsu pitched his voice to her cage. "You willing?” 

“... depends on what she’s going to ask you to do. I don't want you to get hurt, again, and neither does Rock Bison."

“All I want him to do it sit in the chair.” Trixie sighed. "Is it that hard of a concept?"

"That chair looks like it's from a nightmare," Dragon Kid pointed out.  

_Agreed._

“That’s it?” Kotetsu clarified. "Sit in the chair?" 

_She just have something up her sleeve... but if I get out of this cage I can use my power._

“You have the first move in this trade. You put yourself over there, and I’ll put her in with him.” 

“Don’t,” said Antonio, shaking his head. “This is gonna go bad.”

“Think of it as payback for Jake*,” muttered Kotetsu, looking over at his friend. Then he turned to Trixie. “Fine. I agree.”

“Wonderful! I knew you would!” She made her way over to the control unit. “Now, here's what's going to happen. I'll open your door, and you'll go straight to that chair and sit. If I even think you’re going to power up, or attack me, I’ll hit this black button.”

“What does it do?” asked Dragon Kid. 

“Just sets off massive electrics pulses until no one in a cage shows vital signs. Nothing really cool.”

_Of course._

“Fine.” Tiger agreed, not looking over to his friends.

_It'll easier to save them when they're both in the same place anyhow. And not dead._

There was a buzzing sound, then the bars on one side slid up. He took a step, glancing at Trixie, who cleared her throat and pushed her finger closer to the button.

“I’m going, I’m going,” Kotetsu said, holding his hands up. "Look, not a fight." 

He stepped quickly to the chair, pausing as he got closer. 

_I think those brown stains are blood..._

"Remember, clothes off," said Trixie, chiding him. "I'll be nice though, you can keep your underwear on." 

Thanks," muttered Tiger, unbuttoning his vest. Much too quickly, he was done, feeling rather naked and chilled in the room. He looked around, then just put his clothes on the ground, away from the stains, with his shoes beside the pile. Not looking at either Pao-Lin or Antonio, Kotetsu sat in the chair, gingerly laying back. 

_Come on, get away from that panel._

"Thank you." She pressed a button quick enough that Tiger only had time for his eyes to flare before metal constraints popped out over his wrists, upper arms, legs, ankles, and his neck. Then he felt the strength drain from his body. 

_And probably the blue from my eyes damnit!_

"Tiger!" yelled Dragon Kid, shock on her face; Antonio just shook his head. 

""But it's time for me to keep up my end of the bargain, right?" Trixie moved over to where Tiger was strapped down, holding a small remote control. Sliding one finger up, then repeating the gesture, removed one bar from each cage wall. 

_Hopefully the two of them will be able to get out._

Antonio hurled himself at the opening, but it was much too narrow for him to go through.

"She's the one who's moving," said Trixie. "Chill. And step away from the opening." 

"... what's to stop me from coming over there and kicking your ass?" asked Pao-Lin, adjusting her stance. Cracking her neck. "Or sending a bolt of lighting your way?" 

_Go Dragon!_

Trixie took a step over to the tray she'd set up earlier. 

"This." A knife flashed in the electric light, big enough that everyone could see the serrated edge. 

_...no. Nonononono!_

"Don't you fucking-" Antonio's voice halted as Trixie turned to trail it over Kotetsu's bare chest. The Hero bit his lips. 

_Breath Kotetsu. Breathe._

"In the time it would take you to power and charge, I would already be plunging this into his heart." Trixie giggled. "Ha, power and charge. Get it?"

"...yeah. I've got it," replied Pao-Lin grimly, narrowing her eyes. She left her cage, watching Trixie the entire time that she was free, and with reluctance all through her body, stepping in to Antonio's cage, the bars slamming down behind her.

 

 


	4. Ivan's Insights

Ivan stood at the zoo's entrance gate, touching his communicator to make sure it was still working. With Fire Emblem on doctor's orders to rest, no one else was there, and he wasn't sure where everyone else was, or when they would decide to show up.

"At the very least, I expected Keith to be here," he muttered underneath his breath, looking up and down the dark pavement.

_Barnaby... might have gone into the zoo to see if he could find Tiger. That would be just like him, especially after last year. Karina is probably still talking with the PR people. If she'd finished, she'd have let them know, right?_

"Ugh... I hate it when I second guess myself," he groaned, rubbing the back of his neck and attracting a concerned look from a nearby woman.

_Or third guess or forth guess._

He smiled and waved; she smiled back in relief, then walked away, pulling out a cellphone.

"Come on guys, where are you?!" he hissed at his silent communicator. No calls, no messages. Then there was a beep, and a familiar face appeared on the small screen.

"Sorry, just me," said Nathan. "Still alone?"

"Yeah," sighed Ivan. "I'm about ready to go see if Barnaby's inside."

The fire wielder smiled at that.

"Then I've got news for you. Saito-san was kind enough to visit, and he whispered to me that Barnaby had just left his lab."

"Then I just need Karina."

"You've messaged her, right?"

Ivan nodded, angling the communicator so that Nathan could see him.

"And I can tell that she's read my messages, but there's been no response yet."

"Then give her a bit more time. She's probably still in their office." Nathan patted their cheek. "I'm truly sorry, I really wish I could be there with you."

"Don't worry about it," Ivan said, his voice strong as he looked over his friend. "You stay there and heal up. Be ready to help us out if we need it."

"Even your voice is learning to be a Hero," they said, smiling. "Then, since I'm not to join you at this time, I'd like to ask you what your thoughts are on this."

Ivan paced up and down the pavement, moving from one end of the flower beds to the other, then back again. the rainbow order was cute. Red roses, orange lilies, yellow tulips, blue pansies, and violet lavender; green was taken care of by vines that went from their spot in the middle and outlines the entire bed area.

_My thoughts keep whirling around like those Russian snowstorms my grandmother read about in fairy tales._

"This isn't good, whatever's been happening. All three of them missing? Not answering a distress call? I'm thinking they've been captured... " Ivan stopped pacing for a few seconds, then resumed. "I don't think they've been hurt though."

"What makes you say that?" asked Nathan gently, concern in their eyes.

He paused, looking away.

_Hope?_

"Not sure actually." he forced a laugh. " Just... a feeling I guess."

_Nothing to really base it on though._

"I see..." drawled Nathan, clearly not believing him either.

_At least they're kind enough not to say it aloud._

"Any word from Keith?"

"None. He hasn't been reading his messages either." Ivan stopped pacing in front of the red roses. "Nathan... do you think he's been captured too?"

Peering closer at the roses, he noticed that the leaves had ragged holes in them.

_Something's been eating these._

He reached out to touch one, and released a rain of petals even with a delicate touch.

"Did you say that I was going to take John to the groomers if he didn't get in touch?

"Yes. I even added that you would get the deluxe nail coloring and fur dye package. Still nothing."

Nathan nodded, their eyes closing briefly as if seeking inner strength.

_Not something I want to see. It's hard enough when I'm having trouble, but when the people I look up to need more strength? Everything feels even heavier._

"Occam's Razor then."

"What?" The term rang a faint bell for Ivan, but he couldn't place what the it meant.

"The simplest solution is most likely the correct solution." Nathan sighed. "Which means that, probably, Sky High has been taken as well. Especially as he hasn't twitched at the thought of me taking Johnny back to the groomers. "

"How?!" spluttered Ivan, kicking at the ground. He looked around for a second to make sure that no one was able to overhear the conversation. "Keith was supposed go check with the Administration of Justice to see if there were any threats."

Nathan shrugged.

"With the capture of at least three of us, and I believe they've been captured more than I think they've all been hurt and not able to answer their communicators , there would seem to be a group behind the actions. If that is truly the case, then one of them could have been waiting for any of us, and Keith was just unlucky. However, that's not the only situation that may have occurred, just the most possible." They showed their fingers, ticking them off one by one as the possibilities expanded. "He could have come here to wait, and was taken at the zoo. There could have been another emergency somewhere else, and he's in the middle of helping. Or, he could have ignored the orders he gave out and went to look for them himself."

_Those are... possible. I guess. Except for that last one._

"So," said Ivan, pinching the bridge of his nose, "you're trying to say that there's no use worrying about it, because we have no idea what's going on."

"Exactly. When Handsome and Karina join you, if Keith hasn't answered by then, I think the three of you should go on without him." Pink eyebrows waggled. "And keep me on the line."

"Always."

_Because even if we don't, you tend to ferret out the information you want somehow._

"Ivan!"

His head turned sharply, Karina waving at him from a distance. She was wearing one of her everyday outfits, one with warm horizontal tones of mahogany, camel, and coral.

 _I already made the mistake of calling them all brown._ His thoughts turned to Nathan. _And pink. Some people get really strange about what they call their colors._

"What did you find out?"

"Where are Barnaby and Keith?" she countered, looking around. "I don't want to waste time repeating myself."

Ivan stifled the urge to tell her to hurry up.

"Barnaby's on his way, but Keith's not answering."

"Not even his phone," added Nathan. Karina nodded.

_She must have tried too._

"Then Barnaby-"

"Right behind you," the Hero said, jogging up from the side parking lot. "Spill."

Karina hesitated, rubbing her shoulder.

"I think we-"

"We've tried to contact him," interrupted Nathan, their voice low. "Most of our group is here now, and if we have to, one of us can bring him up to speed."

She nodded, tugging on her creamy-colored cap to keep it straight in the autumn wind.

"Right. Here's what I got from the PR department. The renewal's almost finished here, so they convinced the amateur radio station nearby to do a raffle. Pao-Lin was the grand winner, letting her bring in up to ten of her friends before the zoo officially opens. The security office went through the cameras for today and told me that all three of them are just having fun with the underground part of the tiger exhibit, since they weren't spotted leaving."

"What do you mean 'just having fun'?" Barnaby ground out. "They're not taking this seriously."

"They are for what they know," Karina snapped at him. "Look, we can't let word get out that we're down three of our teammates, four if we're including Nathan, five if we can't get through to Keith. That means that I'm just a girl looking for her friends. You're lucky enough that I convinced them that the rest of my group needed to get into the zoo to look for our missing three."

"We should just-"

"No," Nathan and Ivan said at the same time. Nathan made a little hand movement on the communicator, giving the opportunity to Ivan.

"You're new at being a Hero," stated Ivan. "It's a fact."

Barnaby nodded. Barely, but he nodded.

_I'll take what I can get._

"Have you thought about what happens when it's broadcast that a Hero's been taken?" Ivan took a deep breath, exchanged a concerned look with Karina, then launched into the speech he'd heard the first time he'd wanted to do the exact same thing. "First of all, every villain of the day comes out of the woodwork thinking we're weaker, and that wastes time. Second, the media descends into a frenzy of 'if they can't protect themselves, they can't protect us' mentality, which is then brought up every time that Hero doesn't catch a criminal. Third-"

"I get it; we can't tell anyone." There was a haunted look in his eyes that still said he wished it was different, but the tenseness in his jaw showed that he knew how true the speech had been.

"I wish there was a cavalry we could bring in, Handsome, but the truth is? The calvary is us." Nathan's voice was soft. "The zoo's pretty big, but we've got a good place to start at least. Was Saito-san able to help us out? He didn't tell me when he came to visit."

"Saito-san said that the communicators aren't attached anymore, so he can't get any readings. He's working on strengthening the signal to get a good GPS though." Barnaby took a deep breath. He turned toward the entrance, his stride increasing. "It appears the tiger exhibit is a good place to begin."

Ivan and the others didn't get a chance to agree. They hurried, catching up when they got to the entrance gates and Karina had to talk to the guards for them to be waved in.

_I'm glad we didn't have to buy tickets; I think Barnaby would have exploded out of frustration._

The blonde had already snagged a paper map and unfolded it by the time the other two made their way over. Ivan and Karina looked over his shoulder.

_Where is the tiger exhibit?_

"This looks exactly the same as when my school came here on a field trip," murmured Karina, her eyebrows drawing together.

"Ivan, let me look... handsome, that's an hold map you've got there," said Nathan. "They must not have gotten around to changing the front yet. Give me just a second... okay, I've found their plans online. Go straight, towards the elephant house."

"What does it mean that the communicators are still giving off a GPS, but that they're not sending out other readings?" asked Ivan.

"It means they know they've captured a Hero," said Barnaby grimly, heading in the direction Nathan had told them. Ivan shuddered.

_I hope not. Depending on who's doing this, that could mean a lot more trouble for our friends._

"Or," Karina pointed out, doing a bit of a light jog to get to the head of the group, "it could have fallen off. My first one did that during an ocean rescue attempt."

"While we're thinking they've been captured, we still have no proof that way of thinking is true," cautioned Nathan.

_Even if that's exactly what Nathan thinks really happened.... and Barnaby looks as if he's going to hit someone._

"You all can't believe that this was an accident?" he finally exploded. "It's not just him, it's Pao-Lin and Antonio too! It can't be a coincidence like 'falling off' or the 'electronics aren't working'."

_Actually..._

"It could be exactly that," Ivan said. "I think. If they were all together, and they all were in the same situation, something could have fried the electronics so that only the strongest signal, the GPS, was left working. And if it did that to one communicator, then it could do the same to all of them."

Barnaby didn't say anything.

_He can't, he knows I'm right... though that doesn't explain Keith._

The group sped up, ignoring the funnel cake stands, ice cream shops, and capsule toy machines they passed.

"Nathan, we're at the elephant house," said Barnaby in a clipped tone, "What now?"

"Go to the left. Past the ice cream. That's the start of the underground sections. Bats, snakes, and all the way at the end, another entrance into the tiger exhibit."

"Thank you," Ivan said quietly, looking Nathan in the eyes. The older Hero nodded. Other than that it was quiet, none of them talking or remarking on anything until they reached the first sign stating that the tiger exhibit started only five hundred meters ahead.

"Should we split up, and see what we can find that way?" asked Karina. Ivan snuck a glance at her, and even though it was her idea, she didn't seem keen on it.

_She might be biting her lip worrying about Kotetsu though..._

"I'm unsure that's the wisest move," said Nathan. "Sure it would be easier to find them if we split up, but it would also be easier to be captured... if that’s what’s happening."

Ivan looked at the pathways in front of them, then grabbed the map from Barnaby.

"Nathan, did they change the layout of this area? I mean, is there still the one path that goes inside and the one path that goes around?" Ivan waited until he heard a yes. "Then, there's four of us, if we include Nathan, so let's split two and two. Barnaby and Karina can take the inside, and I'll take the outside."

Ivan shrugged as the others looked at him.

"You... don't want a partner?" asked Karina. "You're confident you can do it on your own?"

_Was that a small smile?_

"I can at least camouflage myself to blend into the scenery and escape any attackers that way," said Ivan.

_Confident? I don't think I can really say that._

"You two will be able to back each other up inside."

Barnaby nodded.

"Take care of yourself then."

"Contact us if you need any help," said Karina, pointing to her own communicator. "And I do mean any help, Ivan. Be careful, and we’ll see you on the other side. Barnaby, let me take point since my ice walls recharge faster than your 100 power."

The two of them left, making their way into the underground area, and leaving Ivan to stand at the edge of sunlight, one foot poised to step into his own darkness.

"Any idea of what we're looking for?" asked Nathan.

"None."

Ivan turned around, pointing the communicator so that his partner could see what was around them. Green, leafy trees lined the path, thriving in the smaller bits of shade that increased in size once past the the walls of the enclosure. They went from a few bright young saplings to darker, more mature plants that had clearly been planted here since before the area's renewal.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary here," said Nathan, doubt in their voice. Ivan kept holding out his wrist, and the two of them started down the pathway, ignoring the exhibit signs and concentrating on anything that looked as if it didn't belong.

"It could be worse," Nathan remarked after Ivan found yet another piece of trash. "This could have happened during peak tourist season."

Ivan shook his head.

_Then there would have been too much to look through. People are slobs._

"Do you know how many entrances the underground part has?"

He heard typing.

"And are you supposed to be on a computer? Doctor-"

"What Doctor Tully doesn't know won't hurt me," Nathan replied with a flourish, the tapping sound growing louder, harsher. "And finding our missing friends is worth a headache. It's even worth a migraine. To answer you question, however, from the maps that I'm seeing, there are two entrances; the one that the others went in, and then, if you follow this path, there's one at the end."

"Let's get there and start looking around then," Ivan said, quickening his pace. "Since Barnaby and Karina have this side."

"They're not looking for clues though," Nathan pointed out.

Ivan's foot hit something that clattered, sending a piece of debris skittering across the dark pathway.

"What was that?"

"Probably another piece of useless trash," sighed Ivan, walking over and picking it up. It was a small, finger-sized piece of hardened plastic, a soft coral pink in color. "Looks like it. I'll keep it until we can find a trash can."

The two of them continued talking along the way, Ivan picking up a pet bottle, a can of CREATURE energy drink, and a piece of paper rubbish explaining how the power of positive thinking was better than taking drugs.

 _Ugh. Here’s trash I don’t mind throwing away_.

In the near distance, tigers gamboled and played, enjoying their time under the trees and in the pond.

"I hope there's something inside," said Nathan, their pink eyes narrowing. "The only thing we're finding outside are tigers, and not the specific one we're missing."

"They would have called us if they found something, right?"

"Yes."

_I’m not sure if it’s better that they haven’t called then._

Ivan wiped sweat from his brow and stopped.

"We're here."

In front of him was the second entrance that Nathan had talked about, with a trash can off to the side, under a cheery sign with a happy, smiling tiger face welcoming visitors to the underground portion of the exhibit.

"No plastics of course," he muttered, putting the can in the bins section, the bottle in the pet bottle part, and finally unloading the paper trash into the burnable section. The piece of pink he put back into his pocket.

"Looks like they're trying to up their recycling program," said Nathan. "Keep your eyes open; we know they came in this way."

"And disappeared," added Ivan, stepping forward into the dim cavern. There were signs about what visitors could see through the peepholes and other little activities for children, such as matching tiger prints to the tigers that made them and then seeing where they had gone.

_And still no sign of any of them._

"What'll we do if they're not here?"

"Keep looking," answered Nathan promptly. "We might need to change location, but we're not giving up until we find them."

"And if they're hurt?"

There was silence.

"We'll deal with that if it happens."

 _Nathan's probably thinking about Bullseye_. Ivan remembered the name from class mostly, since he and Eddy had still been students, but it had been enough for a few students to quit the academy.

_Missing for about a week, he was found with burn marks over his body and water in his lungs. Sure, more people were proudly anti-NEXT then, but there was no need to torture him. No need to ever torture anybody._

Nathan’s voice broke through.

"Let's stick to your optimistic thoughts, shall we?"

Ivan nodded.

"It’s not like there will be footprints, so what exactly am I looking for?”

"How about handprints on the windows? It'll at least let us know that they came this way."

"There aren't really windows here," said Ivan, looking around. "There are the peepholes, so you can put your head up into the exhibit, but everything else in here is either a bench, true facts, fun facts, or something for kids to do."

"Then check the peepholes," suggested Nathan.

"They're not made of glass though, they're made of a thick plastic-"

"Which doesn't hold prints," groaned Nathan. "Right..."

Ivan stopped, hearing voices ahead of him.

"Who' there?" he called out. An icicle slammed into the wall behind his shoulder.

Before he could say anything, Karina came apologizing out of the shadows

"Sorry 'bout that," she said with a sheepish grin. "We've been waiting for something to happen this whole time, so I'm been a little on edge."

"You didn't find them?"

"Nothing," spat Barnaby. "Please tell me you found something."

Ivan shook his head.

"Nothing at all?"

"Um..." Ivan took the sliver of plastic out of his pocket. "I found some trash?"

The blond groaned, rubbing his face with his hands, but Karina took it, holding it up against the lights in an attempt to see it better.

"...Nathan." Her voice was thick and twisted, getting their attention immediately. "Nathan, you need to see this."

Ivan held up his wrist.

"... I didn't see it before," said Nathan, their voice sounding apologetic.

"We're on our own then." Karina shook her head. "Just the four of us."

Ivan and Barnaby exchanged a glance.

"Can't you two see?" Karina waved it and as one the two of them stepped back from the inadvertent slashing movement. "This is from Keith's belt."

Ivan almost dropped it in horror.

"Where did you find it?" asked Barnaby grimly, his jaw tense.

_I'm not sure if he's angry, worried, or both._

"Outside. Near the pathway."

"... we need to go back and check," said Nathan.

"Damn it Keith!" hissed Barnaby, running his hand through his curls. "We're supposed to be finding the others, not running around after you!"

_Nobody tries to get kidnapp-_

 "Wait." Ivan held out a hand. "What if he did this on purpose?"

"Get captured?" Nathan rubbed their chin.

"It's possible," said Karina. "To lead us to the others. And it sounds exactly like something he would do."

"We still need to go check though. Make sure he's not hurt somewhere nearby, or miss a message he might have left up." The crackle of anger seemed to have left Barnaby already; the man looked tired beyond all belief.

"Ivan, we need you to show us where you found that bit of plastic."

"About halfway between the entrance here and where you both went in. It's still part of the tiger exhibit, but it was at the edge of the treeline. I didn't see any blood."

"Hopefully there is none." Barnaby took the lead.

"There might not be," said Nathan, thinking it over. "It might be from a grappling move. Capture, not hurt, maim, kill."

_Hurt, maim, or kill... not what I want to think about in connection to our missing friends._

Karina didn't say anything, her eyes darting around as soon as they stepped outside. Barnaby made a beeline for the grassy area between the recycled pavement and exhibit. It took Ivan a little under three minutes to find the exact spot where he'd picked up the plastic. There was nothing else out of place though; no blood splatters, no marks indicating a scuffle had taken place.

"Are there any buildings near you?" asked Nathan.

Karina turned, shading her eyes to see.

"There's the cave system behind us, but that's about it."

"Fan out," commanded Nathan. "If we don't see drag marks, then we'll have to assume Keith left on his own. If we do see drag marks, they may lead us to another area."

"Which, in turn, could be where Kotetsu and the others are." Barnaby set out, head down, almost bending down to check the grass blades and tree roots in the wooded area alongside the fence.

"You really think so?" asked Karina.

_Probably more accurate to wish so at this point. We’d have to be extremely lucky._

"It would be wiser for an area to have at least two exits," added Ivan. "And when involving staff, then there’s probably more than two. That way, though, nobody’s trapped when everything goes wrong."

“Ivan’s got a point,” said Barnaby. “We’ve been looking at this as if we’re customers. There should have been a storage area in the cavern part, right? At least.”

Karina nodded.

“There’s always hidden areas and passageways for singers and actors to get around on stage."

"Or there's another building around here that we haven't seen," added Nathan.

_I just hope we can find them before anything serious happens..._

 


	5. Antonio's Anger

Antonio shivered, one hand clenching the other in an attempt to keep the shaking from being noticeable. He looked over at Pao-Lin, who was back in her cage, and at the unconscious body of Sky High next to her.

_ Well, that optimism didn't last long.  _

Now there were four of them in there, three caged and one strapped down on a butcher's table.

_ Fuck. _

"Are you okay?" 

"You don't really care," he said, voice rougher and harsher than it had been hours earlier. It was easier to keep the pain at bay than it was to deal with his deadening arm; after all, being a Hero made the first situation much more likely than the second, which only happened when he drank too much watching Spain's games during the World Cup.

_ That damned poison's taking effect  _

"So why are you bothering to ask?" he added, glaring at their captor. 

Trixie smiled. 

"I don't mind showing a little kindness - this is such a great day for me! First, I'll be able to get some more power, and this time from a Hero instead of just another animal. Then, I'll be able to see how a person actually dies from the deathstalker scorpion venom. I'm sure it's totally different to how the books talk about it, and I'm going to take notes every step of the way."

A spike of pain radiated off from his stabbed palm. 

"You're... sick," spat Antonio, shivering again. "You need to get help." 

"No, it's called being practical. I need to have a stronger source of power." She stomped away from the cage and back to Kotetsu. "I'm almost ready to start, I promise. You won't have to wait much longer."

A glare was directed toward Pao-Lin's cage, and the two Heroes in it. 

"This would have begun earlier if  **some** one hadn't dropped in." 

"What did you do to him?"

"Little girl, I only punched him. He should be fine when he wakes up, plus or minus some internal injuries." 

_ Punched him? That's it? And from her? I don't think weighs more than 50 kilos wet.  _

Antonio craned his head to look again. Keith was still lying down, out cold. 

“Pao-Lin, has he said anything?”

“Hasn’t even groaned," she replied, her tone curt. 

_ She's worried too. I don't blame her, I have no idea how we're going to get out of this mess. _

“I don't think you're telling the truth. Did you poison him?” Antonio coughed, feeling his chest tighten and complain. “Like you did me?” 

“No, I can’t actually,” said Trixie, sticking her tongue out at him. “Which why I’m hoping this works.” 

“Wait,” said Pao-Lin. “You poisoned Antonio, so why couldn't you poison Sky High?”

Trixie rolled her eyes. She stopped near the quiet Kotetsu, placing her glasses on his chest as she grabbed a cleaning cloth. 

"It's my limitation. Wild Tiger has his time limit, but I can only have powers until I use them, then I need to use Zoopery again to get them back. It's really really annoying when I accidentally use night vision to find my keys. I've gotten better at it over the years, but I still slip up every once and a while.”

She check the glasses in the light, then put them back on.

“You have to keep torturing-“ Antonio stopped speaking, a sickness rising in him. 

_ I can't blame this on the scorpion venom either.  _

“I have a hypothesis,” she declared, looking between the cages and the chair. “I think the reason that I can't keep these powers is because they're originally from animals, so it's like trying to put animal bits into my human chromosomes. However, I think that if I can take a power from a human, as long as they are called by an animal's name so that I can use my NEXT ability, that should allow what I take to stay grafted to my DNA." 

“Wait,” he growled. “You don’t even know if this will work?!”

“Nooo, that’s why people have a hypothesis." She slid into a lecturing voice. "A hypothesis is testing a-“

“I know what one is!” Yelled Antonio, half getting to his knees. His body didn’t like that idea, numbs in some parts, wobbling too much in others, and all full of an icy fire; he slumped back down.

_ Ugh. I haven't felt this bad since I got the flu.  _

“You’re going to kill him for a one time power?”

Trixie giggled.

“No silly! Weren't you listening? I’m going to experiment on him to gain a power.” She clucked her tongue. “Hopefully. There's a big difference between hurting and killing.”

“Same difference,” retorted Antonio, coughing into a hand, “when different actions end identically.”

_... shit. Did I just taste blood? Or am I being paranoid? _

“Not really,” Trixie said in a disparaging tone. “Take jail time for example. It's completely different between the two. And seriously, why are you trying to make me out to be the villain here.”

“Wha- you are the villain!” Exclaimed Pao-Lin, her eyes narrowed in disbelief, even though she didn't move away from Sky High. 

“Nooo... the animals I experiment on don't have to die you know. They just have to give up what I’m looking for.”

“And how... does an animal,” Antonio took a deep breath and let out a racking cough. “...do that?”

“Oh, the animals don’t.” She turned to Kotetsu, a hungry look in her eyes. “But humans can.”

“What do you want from me?” He asked, jerking at the shackles around his wrists. 

_ Dammit Kotetsu, don't draw her attention! The longer it takes her to do anything, the betters our chances of escape are.  _

Antonio let out a groan of his own. He slumped against the bars of his cage, placing himself in such a way that if he looked left, he could keep an eye on Pao-Lin and Keith, but looking right showed him Kotetsu. 

_ I'm already feeling too hot... heh, and I can't feel my arm. Not good.  _

“I'm guessing you want my power?” drawled Koetsu. "It's not like I can hand it over. And even if I could, I wouldn't." 

_...and there's the stubborn little shit I know. That's right, tell your captor that you're never going to do what they want, they all like hearing that.  _

He snickered, but it turning into a wet, hacking cough that flecked the floor of his cage red. 

"Antonio?" 

He met Pao-Lin's stricken gaze. 

_ She shouldn't be able to see it from there. _

"I'm... fine..." he timed his words so that they slid out, and didn't irritate his already angry throat. She nodded slowly, not ready to accept it, but unwilling to borrow more trouble.

“Your power?" Trixie rolled her eyes as she answered Kotetsu; Antonio turned his attention back to her. “What would I want with your power? You can keep your superness, and I’ll keep mine thank you."

She advanced on him, running her hand up and down his chest. Kotetsu's jaw set.

"What I really want, after watching all of your battles... is to have the power of your heart.” 

Three shocked exclamations echoed through the room, followed by one long groan.

“Sky? How are you feeling, are you okay?” Pao-Lin leaned in closer to him, one hand dipping down and out of sight. 

_ Probably checking to see how blown his eyes are... kid's been out for a bit, so he probably has a concussion.  _

“...not... so loud,” Sky moaned, moving slowly. “Where... is she?”

“She who?” Asked Antonio. 

_ Not sure I really need to though. Gonna guess he's talking about the one who planned all this.  _

“Short," described Sky, holding his head in both hands. 

_ I don't envy him his headache.  _

"Small. Big hair. Glasses.”

_ Yeah, that's not a surprise to anyone here.  _

“Trixie.” The name dropped into the room as if a rock into a well.

“She... needed help," explained Sky High, looking around the room. His gaze settled on Trixie, who waved hello. "Oh." 

“She tricked you,” said Antonio, looking at the fallen Hero and adding in a mutter, “Not too hard to do, if we're being honest.”

“She captured us too." Pao-Lin shot Antonio a glare. 

“Something strong hit me.”

“That would be my gorilla arm!” Laughed Trixie in delight. “I had to wait until one of them was sick, and it was a little tricky to get access while it was still alive, but that came in handy, didn’t it?”

Antonio didn't miss the noise Kotetsu made at the mention of "alive."

_ I wasn't there when Maverick killed you, but I'm here now and I'll do everything I can.  _ Antonio's face flickered into a brief smile.  _ Besides, Kaede would murder me if I let anything happen to you again, she made me promise. _

“Do the others know you’re here?” Antonio asked, hoping while keeping his darker thoughts to himself.  

_ Lie about it - if she thinks a bunch of other Heroes are going to show up on her doorstep, then maybe she'll leave.  _

Sky High’s helmet shook, then he made a noise.

“No. I came on my own.”

_ Idiot _ . 

Antonio blinked. The cage bars seemed to double, showing him Pao-Lin and her twin. 

_ Oh good... double vision. It's not a bug, it's a feature. _

"Well, as much fun as it's been talking," declared Trixie, walking over to the cart next to Kotetsu, "time's a wastin!" 

She leaned over, humming as she touched the various instruments, stroking a few or lightly touching others. 

"Where do you think I'll find your power?" she asked, looking over to Kotetsu. "I think it'll be in your heart, of course, but if you draw on your strength from a different sources, now'd be the time to say so." 

_ Not the heart!  _ Antonio could feel the too-fast beats of his own; if she started there, then his best friend's death was likely to happen before they could be rescued. 

"Probably his arms," He said, forcing a laugh. 

_ I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Kotetsu.  _

As he thought, Trixie turned to him for an explanation... so did Pao-Lin. 

"We've always fought, so I know how powerful his hits are." Antonio swallowed hard. "And if you think about his Good Luck Mode, it's centered on his fist."  

Trixie turned back to Kotetsu, eyeing him. 

"You know, thank you! That sounds like a good place to start."

The urge to vomit came back again, stronger. 

_ Don't thank me for helping you torture my friend.  _

She selected a sharp, jagged-edged knife that glimmered under the artificial lights, testing it's sharpness with a quick line on Kotetsu's chest. 

"Perfect." 

It wasn't a surprise when her eyes glowed blue, but it somehow was one at the same time. 

_ I kinda thought she was crazy enough to have imagined a torture-based power...  _

A flip of the knife, and then Trixie buried it in the middle of Kotetsu's right hand. The yell caused a block of ice to form in his stomach. 

"Kotetsu..." he heard Pao-Lin whisper. 

"Don't listen. Don't watch." 

He saw her flinch. Looked back to see Trixie reaching for another instrument. 

"Pao-Lin!" he said urgently. 

_ Come on Keith, help me out here!  _

"Don't. Watch." 

Her eyes grew wider, and this time she yelled out at the same time Kotetsu did. Antonio's gaze was pulled back, his own eyes meeting Kotter's pained ones. 

_ Sorry, but torture is better than you dying outright.  _

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Pao-Lin was trembling with anger, her hands clenching and unclenching as she subconsciously tried to use her powers.

Kotetsu let out a muffled shout. Antonio saw that Trixie was concentrating on his right hand's fingers, slicing them so that the blood flowed freely onto the floor. Looking over her work, she set aside the second knife and took a finger from the left into her grasp. 

*snap* 

Kotetsu cursed, Antonio cursed, Pao-Lin shouted, and Trixie giggled. 

"All you have to do to stop this is give up your unbeatable spirit," she said, reaching for another finger to break. 

"S-s-stop it!" shouted Pao-Lin, kicking at the cage bars. "Leave him alone!" 

*snap*

Kotetsu howled, unable to pull his hand away from his tormentor. 

"I could, I guess," said Trixie, pausing to look back at the younger Hero. "Do you want me to see if being a mythological creature prevents me from using my power on you?" 

_ For fuck's sake!  _

"No," said Kotetsu, shaking his head.

"True... they say to finish the job you start, and since I started with you, I'll just have to finish with you." Trixie patted Kotetsu's cheek, leaving a smear of blood under his eye. "Later on then, little Dragon. You can be my second experiment."

_ I'll kill you first.  _

Going back to the cart, this time she picked up a pair of needle-nosed pliers. Pao-Lin made a noise, but Sky High said something to her, and she turned away from the gruesome scene, burying her face in his chest. Antonio watched as Sky removed his hands from his head and placed them over her ears. 

_ You're a good guy Keith.  _

Antonio made sure that he watched. Listened. He wasn't sure if Keith had blocked out the sight and sounds with his helmet, and he wouldn't blame the man if he had. However, these were the consequences that he'd brought about, so it was only right that he faced them. The noises Kotetsu made was sickening. He saw as she spread the sliced flesh open, caught glimpses of white when she sponged away the blood. 

_...it could be the fat layer...  _ Antonio knew better though. It was bone.

None of their fights had ever been like this. Sure, they're drawn blood, mostly Antonio pulling it from Kotetsu since his own skin didn't break so easily. But their injuries had been bruises, bumps, and a few broken bones that thankfully had stayed inside the skin. This...

_ This is actual torture... _

"Hopefully you'll still be able to use your fingers when we're done with them," said Trixie, peering down to blow on one of them. "I mean it. I could be doing so much more f I wasn't being gentle." 

Kotetsu tried to get away as she went at him with another knife; the straps were too tight for his collared body to move very far. 

"Stop it!" yelled Antonio, his friend's panicked shout getting him to lug his body up to lean against the bars. 

_ These feel good...  _ his fevered body thought, enjoying the icy touch.  _ Dammit..  _

"I've told you, I can't stop it until he gives me what I want." Trixie took a vial from a shelf below the cart and shook it. When the foam was crawling up the opening, she stopped and unscrewed the top. Taking on of his open fingers, she dribbled some of the liquid straight into his wound.  

Antonio swore revenge as he heard Kotetsu scream. The bubbly man that cheered up and supported everyone around him was arching, trying to get off of the chair and away from the pain. Trixie stepped back and watched, taking notes when volume petered out, and when the shaking got to be too much. After he had subsided, sinking back down with sobs and tears, she leaned over and poked at a finger. 

"... I think you lied to me," she said, observing the lack of reaction from her victim. Well, lack of any obvious reaction.

_ I'm pretty sure he twitched.  _

"I don't think your spirit is in your hands." 

_ No shit Sherlock.  _

"So...." she drawled, throwing the pair of pliers into heavy duty sink. The sharp clang was followed by the other two knives. "Is there another place you'd like me to try?"

Kotetsu said something, but low enough that Antonio couldn't catch it. 

_ Fuck, don't antagonize her. _

Trixie threw her head back and laughed. 

"That's a cute idea, but nah, I don't think I will." 

She ran a hand down his body, sweeping over Kotetsu's muscular chest and then petting a leg. 

"You've got great legs, but I don't think your spirit is held in them." She giggled. "Oh, duh! I know where it is!"

Antonio felt a sinking feeling in his gut. Trixie sounded too happy with herself. 

"It's in your breath, filling your lungs to fuel every part of your body! Oh course, it's so obvious - why didn't I think of that before? Every breath you take," she sang, spinning around and heading toward the side of the room. "Every move you make, I'll be watching you~!"

_ Her singing right now is beyond creepy.  _

"And you," she said, appearing suddenly in Antonio's view and startling him. "How are you feeling? Anything interesting you want to report?" 

"Let us..." Antonio felt his throat seize up, squeezing and cutting off what he was about to say. 

"Oooh, is the paralysis moving up? I mean, I think your arm should be completely numb right now, unless I'm wrong. And how's the pain?"

Antonio let out a hiss as his whole body flared up in response, demanding to be paid attention to. He was so freakishly hot that the blood running through his veins felt as if it came from icicle runoff. 

_ I was... better off not... thinking...  _

"Let us go," he finally said managed to choke out, talking more to the floor of his cage than the woman standing outside of it. 

"Absolutely," she replied without hesitation. "As soon as I get what I want." 

Antonio raised his head, groaning at the two versions of Trixie he saw walking away. She grabbed several straps, and filled a bucket of water up. It took a few minutes for her to carry them over to Kotetsu.

"What's she doing?" asked Sky High. 

"Nothing good," said Antonio, voice grim. "Keep her out of it." 

_ Pao-Lin doesn't need to see this. _

"Trying to." 

The first thing Trixie did was fasten a thick strap over Kotetsu's chest. Then, after she had tightened it, she punched him in the side, making him expel the breath that he'd been holding.

"I work with animals," she said, pulling the strap even tighter. "If the horses can't get away with that trick during saddle time, you can't get away with it here." 

Kotetsu grunted, both bodies squirming, Antonio saw, trying to get away from what they all knew was coming.

_ All except our boy scout.  _

He laughed again, choking on the blood.

_ Gotta love black humor. _

"Good to see you're keeping your humor," said Trixie, picking up the bucket. "Oh, wait, I completely forgot." 

She set it back down again and tilted the chair so that Kotetsu's feet where higher than his head. Then she snagged his vest from the sad pile of clothing and laid it over his face. He protested by blowing, and shaking his head so that it fell off. 

"Why can't you just make this easy for me?" she huffed, bending down to retrieve it. She held it in place, then reached behind her and grabbed the bucket of water. With a slosh, it poured over his head to drip on the floor, Kotetsu coughing and gasping for a breath of air. Antonio heard Sky's in drawn gasp just as his stomach sank. "Give me what I want and I'll stop." 

_ He can't you crazy-!  _ Antonio didn't have the words needed for this fuck up. 

"No," rasped Kotetsu. 

"It's not that hard!" 

"No!" 

She slapped him, but it didn't get rid of those defiant eyes and scornful mouth.  

"Never." 

She grabbed the bucket and refilled it again, then emptied the whole thing over his face.

"I can do this all day," she said, breathing heavily, going back for another bucket, and another. Antonio found himself holding his already limited breath, wheezing at the same time as Kotetsu when there was a small break. 

When that didn't, he heard the two Trixies finish breaking all of the fingers on Kotetsus' left hands with a series of all snaps. 

Two scientists let out dual screams of range and stomped their feet. The cart's tray rattled as they turned to it and snatched something. Antonio couldn't see exactly what it was, but it was shiny. It could have been a hammer, or tweezers, until it plunged right into the center of both Kotetsus' chests, and revealed itself to be a knife. 

"NO!" he yelled, using the bars to pull him upright. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed that neither Sky High had moved to see what was happening, and instead they were trying to cover as much of the Pao-Lins as they could. 

"An... tonio..." gurgled the Kotetsus. "Tell..." 

He knows what the message was. No matter that his friend, his best fucking friend since school, has stopped talking. Has fallen against the chair limply. And has too much red taking over his chest.

_ NO! Not here, not like this! _

"Oops," tittered Trixie, taking a step back. "Oh, dammit. Dammit dammit dammit, ugh I lost my temper again. This means I'm not going to get my power!" 

"Trixie!" Antonio tried to make his voice sound thundering and vengeful, but it only came out broken. "Trixie, let..." He coughed, feeling as if he was shredding his throat along with his heart. "Let them heal!" 

_ It won't be enough, but it should buy some time. Time enough for something. _

"'Them'?" she said, sounding confused. "Oooh, yeah, your vision. Good idea though!" she said, two small figures darting forward to unhook the straps. "Key, key, key, where's the key?" 

"Desk!" choked out Antonio. It was getting harder to speak, and even harder to see. Everything was doubled, had been for a while, but now there was a grayish fringe creeping in with every passing second. 

_ I might not make it, but you'd fucking better!  _

He was able to watch as the key was found, and the power-inhibiting collars fell to the floor with a clang. 

"Come on then," said the Trixies, poking the bodies. "Heal." 

_ Come on Kotetsu.  _

Antonio dropped to his knees, then to his hands. Tears dripped down his face and onto the floor. 

_ Kotetsu.  _

"You can't leave us, Wild Tiger!" stated two Sky Highs, not moving from where they were cradling the Pao-Lins, trying to protect them. "Use your power! Heal yourself!" 

That was the last thing that Antonio was able to fully understand; his oldest friends dying, other friends and fellow Heroes shouting next to him. Then, the wave of pain he'd been trying to hold back crested, and he was overwhelmed, sinking into a deep and dank blackness. He shivered his way to the floor of his cage and stretched out, grasping the bars as if he could pull them apart.

"Antonio?" 

Somebody was calling out for him. 

"Antonio! Are you okay?"

_ sure _

"Get UP!" 

_ tihnk i will lay ehre... _


	6. Barnaby's Bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thank you for your patience involving Camp NaNo, many words were hunted!

"Look," Barnaby pointed out , bending at a painful looking angle so that he could see the grass, leaves, and stones of the wood's floor. "Here! And here!" 

_ Something  _ **_was_ ** _ dragged through, and I know it  _ **_had_ ** _ to have been Sky High!  _

Footsteps crunched as Ivan ran over to where Barnaby was pointing, pointing the phone's light that Nathan was currently studying their world from. 

"There's scuff marks in the dirt, and stones have been dislodged." Ivan explained, pulling out another phone to shed some more illumination on the sections he was talking about. "This rock was moved, and you can see the old imprint over here." 

"Something big," agreed Karina, looking around them. "But which direction? Was it heading towards the road, or deeper into the forest?"

"It's got to be the forest, right?" said Barnaby. "We came from the road." 

_ It's obvious! _

"It's not that easy!" Her snappish voice startled one of the few birds that had stayed behind, causing it to flutter off into the higher branches of a nearby tree. "Look, I'm worried about them all too, but whoever took Sky High could have dragged him to the road and put him into a car, which would mean we followed this backwards."

_ Shit! I didn't think of that! _

Barnaby's mouth closed. Looking away from her, he scratched his arm as he circled the area, trying to determine where the tracks were going. 

_ There's gotta be some way to figure it out.  _

"Ivan, get me closer to the rocks, then let me see the scuff marks," commanded Nathan. "Barnaby, take the phone, shine the light directly onto the areas I need to see." 

_...Nathan can track? _

Ivan scrambled forward, moving a bit slower around the trail so that he didn't mess it up; Barnaby positioned the phone in such as way that the surrounding shadows were at their least intrusive.

_ Damn it old man! You'd better be okay! _

Nathan studied what lay before them. They told Ivan to point Barnaby at each section, and then they finally asked for a large, bird's eye view. Barnaby bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood. Karina just watched, standing off to the side and out of the way of Ivan.

_ What is taking them so long!? _

"Okay, if this was Sky High, then they were being taken through the woods and away from the road." 

_ How...? _

"How the hell do you know which way to go?" 

_ Party all-night Nathan is not the type of person I'd expect to have this skill. _

"Look at where the earth has been pushed up from the rocks, or where the grass blades are bent. If a person's being dragged, then the scrapes or breaks occur in the direction they're being taken." 

_ Where did they learn it though? Heroing?  _

"That's..." Karina trailed off, looking at the signs again with fresh eyes. She gave a determined nod. "I never thought about it like that." 

_ Maybe not Heroing then. _

"Nathan-"

"Are we going to stand around here all day, asking me inconsequential questions," asked the fire wielder, "Or are we going to save our friends?" 

Barnaby didn't bother to say his answer aloud; he turned and shone his light at the ground, picking up the pace with each sign he found.

_ It starts over there, and it goes this way, deeper into the darkness.  _

"Is this taking us into the actual tiger exhibit?" asked Karina, looking around and flinching every time a branch snapped or a loud sound echoed. "I don't want to be ambushed." 

Ivan shook his head, glancing at the map that Nathan had found online. 

"Not according to this. The road goes through the tiger exhibit, but we're in this thin strip of green that leads away from the underground cave."

"The online website explains that this is the area they use when a tiger is sick and needs to be treated away from the group or a while. Said tiger still gets the fun of the exhibit, and they can't hurt or spread the disease to the others."

"Let's hope they're all healthy then," muttered Karina, twitching when Barnaby snapped a twig. A few seconds later, when Ivan did the same thing, she let out a small shriek.

_ I can't tell if she's angry or scared. _

Sunlight dappled the forest, and there was a lush beauty in the varying hues of green that started at the fern-colored canopies, wound its way down ivy vines, then buried roots within pale blades of grass. 

_ Too bad we can't stop and have a picnic. Kotetsu would love the shade. _

"Barnaby!" snapped Karina. 

"What?!" 

"Look up," said Ivan, his voice pensive. 

_ We need the trail, what are you two- _

Barnaby did as they asked, and his fist curled hard enough to ache. 

There, about three blocks away, was an off white building. Squat. Plain. It stuck out from the wooded environment like a the first star in the night sky. 

_ Just as cold too. _

"What's the plan?" asked Ivan. 

"Invade and rescue. That's all we need." 

_ They've got our friends, and we're getting them back. _

"That's not a plan and you know it. We absolutely need one," corrected Nathan. "There could be innocent veterinarians and scientists in there. Also, Barnaby, is this going to be something we need to talk about?" 

_ Huh? _

Nathan continued. 

"It's understandable that this is your partner and that you're worried about him-"

A flush of anger ran through Barnaby. 

_ It's not wrong for me to be worried!  _

"He's your friend too!" 

Nathan quirked an eyebrow, and muttered something under their breath. 

"So are Antonio, Pao-Lin, and Keith," they continued, fixing Barnaby with a pink stare. "However worried I am though, I'm not going to put the rest of you in trouble through a misguided rescue attempt. We  **think** they will be in here; that might not be true. We  **think** those tracks are from Keith; that might not be true either. We can  **not** fly off the handle. That's the best way to go from the pan to the flames." 

As sudden as the anger had filled his entire body, Barnaby felt shaken as it drained out, leaving him only a shell. 

_ Shit... they're right. And Kotetsu wouldn't want them to get hurt for him. _

He turned to see Karina and Ivan watching him. 

_ Dammit. _

"Fine," he said, the word coming out slow, creaky. "What's the plan?" 

"Thank you," said Nathan, acknowledgement in their eyes. 

_... this has happened to them before _ , Barnaby realized.  _ A partner missing, someone too intent on finding them, and then... everything going to hell. What happened? _

"Ivan, did you see any of the zookeepers earlier?" 

For an answer, the younger Hero shapeshifted into a man with curly black hair, wearing the tan staff uniform. 

"Good. Check and see if the area's empty." 

Ivan saluted Nathan, then gave the phone to Karina as he jogged to the building. Barnaby saw Nathan tap his wrist to open a channel with Ivan. 

"If it's full of people working, drop the disguise and ask if they've seen Keith. If there's only one person there, and they don't seem like staff, try to pin them down and wait for us."

"Got it." 

The three of them waited, killing time in their own little ways. Barnaby paced as Ivan knocked on the door, and a side glance showed that Karina kept forming gun shapes with her hands while Nathan's eyes were focused on their communicator. 

Ivan slipped past the front again to go around the side. 

"Right," said Barnaby, spotting the movement and springing forward. "No one seems to be at home." 

Karina ran after him, but his longer legs reached the door first, Ivan coming around from the other side. 

"No lights, and no one's answered."

"Nathan?"

"Open it," they said bluntly.

Barnaby took a few steps backward, then ran forward, slamming his shoulder against the door. It creaked, but held true. The second time made a few long cracks appear, and by the third time, a small section gave up the ghost and caved in.

Barnaby massaged his shoulder, and Karina took advantage of that to dart in and put her smaller hand through the hole, fishing around to unlock the door. 

"Feel better?" asked Ivan. 

_ What's that supposed to mean? _

"Next time, give me a second to shift into something that can knock down the door before you dislocate your shoulder." 

_ Oh...I didn't even think to ask him.  _

"You could have asked," Barnaby said. 

_ Then maybe my shoulder wouldn't hurt so much.  _

"You seemed to need it." Ivan shrugged, eyes flicking back to the door. 

_ Maybe I did. Either that or Nathan's lecture. Possibly both.  _

"Got it!" cheered Karina, yanking the door open. 

"I'll take point," said Barnaby. 

_ Even without my power on, I can take a hit better than either of you.  _

He strode forward, hand fumbling for a lightswitch near the door. When they flickered on, he had to release a deep breath. 

_ Damn it. I was hoping...  _

"No one's here," he said, even though the footsteps of the others told him that they could see the same thing he was. The place was quiet, nothing beeping or running. The walls were either a dark cream or a light grey, but no matter if the color was pale slate or frothy stone, they were depressing. Two rectangular tables were in the center of the room, placed above drains and a ceramic floor, and on trays were a variety of medical instruments. 

_ Even the air tastes stale. _

"We saw those drag marks go here," said Karina. "So where are they?" 

"Technically," added Nathan, "we didn't follow the tracks here. We saw this, and assumed. Whoever was dragged could have woken up and walked out." 

"There's nothing else around here," said Ivan, his voice soft. "Think like a villain. You have three, maybe four hostages, all NEXT. Where would you keep them?" 

_ Somewhere they can't get away from me easily.  _

"A room with no windows." 

"Where the walls are thick, and the place is in the middle of nowhere, and no one would notice sounds." 

_ So in other words, here. _

Ivan walked around the room, looking at the walls and doors. 

"I think... I think the outside is slightly bigger than this room." Ivan opened the first door he found, finding a tiny closet. 

_ That's normal insulation, isn't it? _

"That's pretty natural," said Karina. "The main room has two closets, so of course the outside's going to be bigger."

Ivan shrugged. 

"Maybe."

He opened door number two, which turned out to be closet number two as well. 

_ Where else could they be?  _

There was one remaining door, but when Ivan tried to open it, the door handle rattled. His arm shifted into something darker, hairier, and with a lot more muscle. The knob snapped off, and when the hand curled three fingers into the hole it left behind, there was a sharp crack as the door splintered at the hinges. Beyond it was a staircase descending down into the depths 

"Or maybe there's a secret staircase." 

Barnaby flinched as they heard a scream. 

"Not Antonio," Nathan said briskly. "Nor Keith." 

_ Then it has to be Kotetsu. _

"I'm not," Karina swallowed hard and put a hand up to her mouth. "I'm not going to ask how you know that Nathan. But what do we do now?" 

_ What do-? _

Barnaby took a step forward only to have Ivan step into his path. 

"Barnaby, let me scout it out," he said, purple eyes hard. "We don't know what we're heading into." 

A sharp wail echoed up from the staircase. 

"We know exactly what we're heading into," snapped Barnaby. "A person is being tortured, and we're missing four friends!" 

"And what are you going to do?" interrupted Karina, keeping her voice low. "You're going to go in there, power on, and what? Watch as the criminal murders their captive in retaliation? We need to know the layout and who's there! Are there others watching? Can we get closer before stopping this? Is there a force field? Is there a way that  **we could be captured** and then we're  **all fucked** ?!"

Nathan nodded and gave an agreeing noise. 

"That," said Barnaby, pointedly looking at the stairwell as another scream escaped the room below, "is probably Kotetsu. Hurt. In pain. And you want to sit around?" 

"Handsome, five minutes of planning usually equates to five hours less in the hospital." 

_ I'm not asking  _ Barnaby told himself firmly.

"And I've been a Hero longer than you," hissed Karina, stepping closer and tilting her head to look up at him. Her eyes were the pale blue of NEXT users, and they seemed harder than ice. 

_ Wait... are those tears?  _

"Even if I'm younger in age." One of the welling tears trickled down her cheek. "Yes, this  **sucks** . It always does! But trust us, running in not knowing the situation is far worse, and can make it lethal." 

_ Always does _ ... the two words reverberated through his brain. Barnaby looked between her and Nathan. 

"I can't just listen to him scream." 

"You can," said Nathan, a flare of their nostrils the only indication that they were having trouble with this too. "You will. And deep down, the tactical person in there knows it. I think you've been spending too much time around our resident instinctual Hero though, for you to grasp it as easily as you once did."

_ He's so much more than my partner. _

"Finally," Karina sighed, turning away. "Ivan, what did you see?" 

_ Wait... did they just distract me so he could go down there? _

Barnaby wasn't sure if he should be insulted that such a cheap trick had worked.

_ Maybe I should be happy that we weren't actually wasting time. _

"... two cages on the far side, but I could only see the top of Pao-Lin's head in one of them. Something over them is flickering, but I don't know what the orange light means. In the middle is a control panel, and next to it was...was Kotetsu."

"How many others were in there?" asked Nathan. 

"Just one. She's, um, concentrating her attention on Kotetsu." Ivan's eyes flickered to Barnaby, but the only reaction was clenched fists. 

_ I need to listen to them, trust them, believe in them. I know they don't want to see him hurt any more than I do.  _ This time the scream was longer; it bled Karina's face white, made Ivan's eyes grow wider, and set a snarl on Nathan's lips. Barnaby felt his power demand to be used, an itch underneath his skin. 

_ Wait  _ he chided himself, nails digging into the skin of his palms.  _ Wait until the best time. _

"Listen carefully," said Nathan. "Ivan, get the cages open, break them, pull them apart if you have to. Take the phone so I can see what's happening. Barnaby, go in there and get that woman away from Kotetsu-" That was all Barnaby needed to hear of the plan. With a soundless snarl he threw himself towards the stairs, activating his power so that he swung around the final twist of the stairs and streaked toward a small woman wearing a bloodied lab coat.

"Wait!" he heard Pao-Lin cry out, echoed by someone else's scream as he grabbed the scientist by the shoulders, not slowing down until she had hit the wall opposite, gasping like a goldfish to try and regain her breath. There was no more screaming, no more cries; just their heavy breathing in what seemed to be a cone of silence around them.

"What the  **fuck** do you think you're doing?" Barnaby said, watching her. She was petite, wearing blood as a perfume even as her bushy hair darkened and clumped near the tips. 

"Hi!" She said as she caught her breath, that unnerving grin getting wider. 

_ Why's she smiling? She's caught.  _

"My name's Trixie, and I'm a NEXT like you." 

_ The hell?  _

Barnaby clenched his teeth as a small trickle of electricity hit him. 

_ I've had worse in practice. _

"I work with Dragon Kid," he spat out, tightening his grip. "Your electric power's not going to work on me." 

"Understandable," Trixie said. "Which is why I'm really happy that's not my power." 

Her hand rose up to circle around Barnaby's wrist, and as the fingers laid against his skin, a horrible flare started. 

"Have you ever been stung by a jellyfish?" she asked. "Some of them can kill you you know, even if you have a strength based power. The zoo has probably ten species floating around in their aquatic prison." 

Pain began to radiate from where she had touched, feeling as if a horde of wasps had descended onto the area. In addition, Barnaby would have sworn that the voltage was increasing. Form behind him he could hears, if not individual words, voices, and even as his grip started to shake he knew Kotetsu was safe. 

_ You're not alone anymore. _

"What did you do to him?" 

"Which him?" She cocked her head in confusion. "There are three 'hims' at the moment." 

_ Antonio and Keith  _ his mind sighed in relief.  _ Good, they are here.  _

"Tiger!" The word come out in an explosion of pain as the hornet stings traveled up his arms.

_ How did she give me a jellyfish sting? I've never had one this bad. _

"Oh him!" The smile slipped. "He wouldn't give me what I wanted."

"What was that?" 

"Something for me to know and for you to find out." A gentle pressure on his hand forced the fingers to spread wider, letting her slip out of Barnaby's grasp. 

_ No! She can't escape!  _

And yet, that's exactly what Trixie did, even going so far as to blow a kiss as she backed away. Barnaby took a step after her; tried to at any rate. Between whatever it was crawling up his arm to move past his shoulder, and taking levels of electricity that Dragon Kid had never dared to hit them with, his body made it about three steps before falling to its knees. 

_ No! Somebody, anybody! Get her! _

He looked around but there was an ice wall blocking him off from where Kotetsu had been. Ivan had opened up the cages, and with everybody out of them he could clearly see Keith and Antonio, but Ivan was crouching over the former as Pao-Lin knelt next to the latter, showing the too-still body to Nathan. 

He opened his mouth to warn them that she was on the loose, and a croak emerged.

_ Dammit! _

"Thanks for the data I've collected sweeties," Trixie called out, catching everyone else's attention. "But I need to run a few errands right now, so I'll catch you all later." 

_ No! _

"Barnaby?" Ivan called out, looking around. 

_ He knows I wouldn't have let go without a reason.  _

"Barnaby!" 

_ Don't worry about me, get her! _

"What did you do to him?!" said Pai-Lin, advancing toward the woman even as she held the phone straight. 

"Jellyfish this time dearie," came the happy, confident answer. "Good luck!"

_ This time? What does that mean? _

Barnaby's stomach curled, and not in the good way like when Kotetsu paid him a compliment, or when they all went out to curry after capturing off a particular tricky villain. This was spiked and cold, making sure that every other part of him knew something was wrong. 

_ Did she do this to Antonio and Keith too?  _

Pao-Lin fired a shot of lighting, but Trixie poured on the speed and dodged it, dropping to all fours like a cat and racing up the stairs. 

"Nathan, Barnaby's been stung by a jellyfish."

"I heard," came a rough voice. "There's four ambulances heading toward your location, and I'm talking to Dr. Levine here, so she knows what to expect." 

_ Four? _

"Ivan. I need Nathan," said Karina, her voice shaking. "Now." 

"Pao-Lin's got them," he said, looking up from examining Keith. 

_ Why does Karina sound as if she's trying not to cry?  _

"Pao-Lin! 

The younger Hero, Barnaby saw from his position on the floor, was at the door frame, looking up at the stairs with longing. 

_ She's fast enough, she can do it. _

"I can catch her!" 

"Or Kotetsu can die!" snapped Karina. "I need medical knowledge now!"

_ WHAT!? But... how? _

Pao-Lin let off a small blast of electricity into the stairwell, but spun about and ran over behind the melting ice wall. Barnaby heard a gasp, then Karina's voice asking what to do. 

"When can he use his power next?" asked Nathan. "It won't fix everything, but it'll help." 

"He can use it now," answered Pao-Lin, "but that collar..." She flashed into Barnaby's line of sight again, this time heading for the panel in the middle. "One of these buttons unlocks it, but I don't know which one." 

"Ivan!" 

"On it!" He hurried to join Pao-Lin, and the two of them began to point and look over the buttons and levers. Another voice come into the room, cranky and curt. 

_ Hurry hurry hurry! _

"Pressure on that chest wound!"

"I can't find any clean cloth."

"Don't bother," replied the new voice. "We'll fight infections later, but we need to deal with this now. What happened?"

"There was a knife near his chest," said Karina, her voice sounding muffled halfway through the sentence. "And it was ripped out." 

_... did I do that?  _ Barnaby frantically thought back to when he had launched himself at Trixie. He'd exploded out of the stairwell. She hadn't noticed, or reacted, still hunching over Kotetsu. 

_ I didn't see if she had a knife, but he'd been screaming before... _

Barnaby shut his eyes, but the images didn't go away. Instead, his hearing picked up on squelches, moans, and then a bloodcurdling scream that ended in a wet-sounding gurgle.

_ Please say that was not Kotetsu! _

"Sorry sorry!" babbled Ivan, yanking downward on a lever. "I thought that was it." 

"It's gotta be this one then," Pao-Lin said, pointing at something Barnaby couldn't see. 

"But that's connected to the cages."

"So? No one's in there now, so it'll be fine to set it off." 

Ivan pushed something, then waited a few seconds. 

"Karina?" 

"Nothing!" she yelled out. "That's not it!" 

"That's gotta be it though," said Pao-Lin. "I saw her touch those three places. It has to be one of them." 

She looked up and met Barnaby's gaze from across the room. Then she steeled her shoulders, turning away from the frozen Hero.

_ What?  _

"I hate that woman." 

"What?" Ivan was confused at the non-sequitur. 

_ Why would you like her?  _ Barnaby's brain wondered.  _ Is there anyone who likes her? _

"She booby-trapped it. That's the only explanation."

"Pao-Lin, what are you talking about?" 

The young girl spun around and looked over the cage. 

"Trixie wanted Kotetsu's spirit, his heart. She's also a fucking crazy bitch." 

_ Have I ever heard her cuss before?  _

"She linked the two together, his collar and our cages. I bet, a whole week of my making fried rice, that if Kotetsu had gotten away from her and gone to remove his collar, the cages would have shocked us. And, I'll bet another week, that if he had helped us escape first, then he would be have been shocked."

_ What a nasty... so no matter what he would have done, he would have either felt guilty hurting all of his friends, or would have injured himself. Great. Can this get any worse? _

"Even if that's true," said Ivan, "how does that help us now?" 

"No one's in the cage. The computer thinks that he let us out first, and that's why the correct lever shocked him." She took a deep breath. "Put it back to neutral. I'll go back in, and then we should be able to unlock Kotetsu's collar." 

_ After you're electrocuted.  _ A growing horror hit him as he realized what was directly in his line of sight; the damn cages.  _ For fuck's sake! When I said 'can this get any worse' I wasn't asking for an actual demonstration.  _

"Pao-"

"Don't," she said, her voice hard. "I'm not changing my mind, and I know this is the right thing to do. Besides, out of all of us here, who's the best to deal with voltage?."

Barnaby couldn't do anything. Couldn't warn Karina as to what was happening, couldn't do anything to stop this self-sacrifice himself. All he could do was watch as Pao-Lin walked over to the cage and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her with a clang. 

"What was that?" asked Karina. 

"Ivan, now!" shouted Pao-Lin, holding onto the bars. 

"I don't think-"

"Pull the lever, and get ready to remove the collar!" 

"Pao-Lin, what are you doing?" Karina's voice was louder, more demanding of an answer. Ivan pulled the lever, and then Pao-Lin couldn't answer, her mouth open in a silent scream.

_ Why is this hurting her? She's always shrugged off electric hits before. _

"Karina," yelled Ivan. "The collar! Take the collar off!" 

_ Was that a click, or did I imagine that?  _

"Got it!" yelled Karina. Ivan threw the lever... and nothing happened. 

_And Kotetsu would have been watching this, knowing that he had pulled the trigger._ Barnaby's arms began to tremble from holding his body up, and the fire was beginning to spread beyond his chest. _It's times like these when I wish hundred power worked on pain, toxins, and poison._

His body hit the floor, diminishing how much he could see of what was going on. 

_ I think... we're going to need... five ambulances.  _

The last thing he heard was Ivan's panicked voice asking Karina for help, her yelling back she couldn't leave Kotetsu, and then everything faded to a grey haze.


	7. Nathan's Necessity

Nathan let out a soft sigh as they waited outside the door to the emergency wing of the hospital. Everyone was at least in one place, no one was missing, and no one was dead. Yet. 

_ We haven't had so many Heroes hospitalized for a while. And even with the whole Jake fiasco, that was done one at a time. This... this was five in one fell swoop. I would almost be impressed if it didn't involve my friends. _

"I'm sorry. I should have been there."

Ivan, his eyes red and raw, barely flicked in their direction. He'd been semi-sleeping in the chair, leaning against the wall in a way that would give anyone else a horrible crick in the neck. 

_ Maybe being a shapeshifter means he can just shift those problems away? _

"It's good... you weren't," came the yawning reply. "We needed you here more than there." Ivan scrubbed the side of his mouth, wiping away the drool that had gathered. "Did I miss anything?" 

"Nothing," sighed Karina, staring at a book on her lap. In the past few hours she hadn't turned more than a couple of pages. Judging by the cover Nathan had caught a glimpse of, it was a romance between a single father and a young heroine. 

_ If you know how to look, she's always wearing her heart on her sleeve.  _

"I shouldn't have let Pao-Lin get into that cage," muttered Ivan, rubbing his face. "That was my fault." 

"She was right though." Karina's grimace gave the impression each word caused physical pain as it left her lips. "It unlocked Kotetsu's collar."

_ But at what a cost. Pao-Lin's being treated for burns consistent with lightning strikes. Kotetsu's still in emergency surgery to repair that last rip near his heart, and then they'll need to get all of the others. Keith's having his bones snapped back into place so they can look at his lung, and both Barnaby and Antonio are being treated to cleanse their systems of toxins.  _

Nathan shook their head. They didn't need to dwell on how still Pao-Lin had been, her petite body looking even smaller on the gurney... the complete opposite of Antonio, who had been trashing in convulsions when he'd been brought in, body flushed and pouring with sweat. Keith as least had been awake, but unable to breathe in anything more than shallow huffs, which didn't lend to talking very well. Barnaby had been unconscious, an angry red rash along most of his upper body, and Kotetsu... Kotetsu had been a horrid mix of bone white and blood black.

_ Easily explained by the fact that his chest had been ripped open deep enough to expose the rib cage. What was she trying to find in there? _

"I'm going to get some coffee." Karina stood up, tossing the book back onto the chair. "I can't sit here any longer. Does anyone want anything?" 

"I'll come too." Ivan stretched. "Maybe get a snack or some cafeteria food. Nathan?" 

"Karina knows what I like." 

The ice manipulator nodded.

"One triple threat coming up."

"Thanks sweetie. I'll stay here, and message you if there's any news." 

The two younger Heroes left, walking down the hallway and chatting with each other; Nathan let out another long sigh, rubbing a hand over their face. 

"I'd almost rather be the one in the hospital instead of the one waiting." 

They cocked an eyebrow at the door, but it didn't budge. There was a light over it to show that an operation was in progress.

"Come on. That was  **perfect** timing for someone to show up and say they'll all be okay." 

The door still didn't move. It stayed shut. Silent.

"Very well. Let's at least be productive while waiting." Nathan grabbed their pink phone and sent out a quick email to Poseidon Line regarding John's walkies, and then several separate ones asking the companies to send an extra set of clothing for their downed Heroes.

_ I'm putting it off though. Courage, Nathan.  _

Nathan brought up LINE, and with a slight hesitation, opened their chat with K3. 

Kaede? Are you free? 

hey! 2 mins. 

Nathan's heart sped up. 

_ Two minutes can feel like such an eternity.  _

They waited though, wondering if she was chatting with a classmate or making excuses to the instructor. 

chat? type? 

Nathan hit the call button, taking deep breaths to calm themselves as the dial tone rang. 

"Hey, what's up?" 

"Everything's okay right now," they said, taking care to enunciate each word. "But there was trouble-"

"Who's hurt?" she asked quickly.

_ I forget how quick that brain of hers can be, especially when it involves us.   _

"Neither Ivan nor Karina." 

_ And wasn't that a bitch to say? Two out of eight weren't injured by, from Ivan's reports, a petite, fairy-looking woman with a big bushel of hair. Well, three since she didn't get to me either. _

"Dad?" 

"Currently in surgery, but the chances are better than we thought at first." 

Nathan winced at the sucked in breath they heard over the phone. 

"Barnaby?" 

"Recovering from toxins, along with Antonio. They're both sleeping." 

"...Keith?" 

"Surgery. They're worried about..." Nathan cut themselves off. 

_ She doesn't need to know that he punctured a lung.  _

"Pao-Lin?"

"Dealing with being electrocuted."

Kaede snorted. 

"What? How did she have problems with that?"

"They were stripped of their powers earlier." Nathan closed their eyes, trying not to remember the screams that had carried over the phone, supplemented by a lurching feeling in their chest when Karina had carried the phone over to the cage. "You remember those lovely, stylish collars, right? Apparently the plans weren't kept as secret as we would have liked." 

There was silence for a few seconds as she took that in. 

"And you?" 

Nathan moved to the window, looking out into city. 

_ I miss the stars. _

"Recovering actually. My injury was earlier today, and not from someone who has an instinctual gift for giving pain. I'm just finishing up my stint where the doctors can see if there are any complications." 

"It was... it was bad this time, wasn't it?" Kaede asked, her voice soft. Almost as if she knew the answer, but didn't want to hear it.  

_ The same answer I don't want to give.  _

"Not as bad as it could have been," Nathan said instead, trying inject a bit of optimism. 

_ Although if we'd been any later, or even if I hadn't been at the hospital and able to grab doctors quickly, we would most likely be planning a few funerals by now.   _

"I'll be up there as soon as I can." They could hear a sharp clang in the background, followed by a soft curse, then someone asking if she was okay. 

_ Still at school then. She's such as hard worker... I wonder if she gets it from her mother, or if she channels the exuberance that her father shows daily. _

"Kaede. Your dad won't be up for visitors until tomorrow, and Barnaby's not so bad that they're going to let you ignore visiting hours." 

There was a huff from the other side, and Nathan had to smile. 

"I could borrow my friend's invisibility power and sneak in there." 

_ I can see you doing exactly that, so let's send a little logic your way. _

"And the moment that you touch either of your fathers it'll go away. Seriously. Take the night to pack for a few days, and come up here tomorrow. I'm sure Barnaby will be happy to see you, and Kotetsu should also be up by then." 

"Nathan..." there was a long, drawn out sigh. "Thanks. For letting me hear it from you, and not Lloyds." 

_ That pompous blowhard is not the person I'd ever want to hear any type of news from, good or bad.  _

"Anytime."

_ Though I'd like to keep these conversations to a minimum in the future. _

"Take care, and I'll see you tomorrow." Nathan hit the end button and stared at their phone for a few seconds. "I truly loathe making those phone calls." 

_ But as the most senior Hero with their brain still functioning on a somewhat normal level, it's my duty. _

They stood up, looking in the small window to the room in front of them. Barnaby was lying still on the left bed, sleeping through whatever he'd been given for that rash to settle down, but Antonio was wide awake, twisting and turning on the bed. Nathan let himself into the room, and Antonio startled at the sound of the door. With a small wince, he shifted on the bed to give up some space.    

"How are you feeling?" Nathan asked softly, sitting down at the edge. 

_ We almost lost you. I almost lost you. _

"Fine," he rasped, a hand moving up to massage his throat. 

"Hmm..." Nathan smiled as they poured a glass of water, then stuck a straw in it before moving closer. "Somehow, I don't believe it." 

They were quiet as Antonio latched onto the straw, sucking up about half of the cup before letting the tool go with a sigh. His voice was still hoarse, but it was a kinder, gentler rasp. 

"What happened?" 

Nathan shook their head. 

"You'll either hear it from everyone once they wake up, or I'll tell you later on, when you've gotten a bit more rest. For the moment, Keith and Kotetsu are in surgery, Barnaby is sleeping his injuries off, and Pao-Lin's being treated for severe electrical burns."

Antonio frowned, but didn't have the energy to maintain it. 

"Tried to... keep her from... seein'." 

"I think it worked too." Nathan paused. "For the most part. It was when the others had gotten there to rescue you that she helped us out, and was injured in the process." 

"Dammit." 

Nathan nodded. 

_ Agreed. I know she's as much as a Hero as we are, but she seems so young sometimes. I guess most of them do at our age. _

"What **do** you remember, exactly?" 

_ Or maybe the question should be, how much do you remember? _

Antonio paused, a hard look coming into his eyes as he went back through his own memories. 

"Went to the zoo. There was gas... in the tiger exhibit. Woke up powerless. In a cage. Some woman-" he broke of coughing, his body curling in over itself. Nathan leaned forward and rubbed their back. 

"She did something to me," he finally managed to spit out, glancing at his right hand. "Using her power." 

_ He's looking worse than before _ Nathan noted, taking in their friend's shaking hands and paler face.  _ He needs to rest. _

"Relax," They said soothingly. "Everyone made it out. I just wanted to confirm with the details that I was able to glean from Keith before his surgery."

"We got played," said Antonio, his voice bleak. "She knew... just how to push Kotetsu's buttons. Kotetsu!" He began to trash, trying to get up from the hospital bed even as the monitors started to emit shrill warning beeps and rhythms. 

"Antonio!" Nathan's sharp voice had to be louder to go over the alarms. A glance to the other side of the room showed that Barnaby was sleeping through the commotion thankfully. "Do you want the doctors in here?!"

"I need... help him!" 

"You can help everyone by staying still," said Nathan. "Less doctors in here means more doctors helping them; you know as well as I do that this part of the wing is always understaffed." 

_ And bless every single one of the hardworking people that stick around here. _

They could feel the tense body in their grip relax. Inch by inch, he drew back to leaning against the back of the hospital bed, and his breathing became a little smoother.

_ Better, but not great.  _

"Antonio?" asked Nathan, their sharp eyes noting when muscles relaxed and the tension seemed to bled away. 

"Sorry," came a familiar rumble. "My head... I thought I was still back there."

"You were hit with something hard, it's understandable that your mind is wandering." Nathan stood up and went over to the window. "Honestly... I'm not sure what we're going to do." 

"Huh?" 

Nathan spun around, sitting on the sill and crossing their legs. Then their arms. Pursed their lips. 

"She got away." 

The words took a few seconds to settle, then Antonio let out a groan, closing his eyes. 

"Of course she fuckin' did." 

Nathan went to say something else, but was interrupted by a soft knock at the door. 

"Sorry to disturb you Rock Bison, but I was told Fire Emblem was with you."

Antonio looked to his friend, who sighed and nodded. 

_ Can't stop the rest of the world from running, even if I wanted to. _

"They're in here," he said, his voice cutting out a bit at the end. 

"Thank you." The door opened, and Judge Petrov walked into the room holding an armful of folders and papers. 

"Isn't it late enough to leave the paperwork alone?" Nathan joked even as they reached out. 

_ Unlike Kotetsu, I know putting it off doesn't magically make it disappear.  _

"Alas, you know as well as I do that paperwork never ends, it merely breeds the next generation. Since you, Blue Rose, and Origami Cyclone are the only ones not impaired at the moment, I thought I would ask you three to be the ones to start. Afterwards, I'll take statements from the others." 

Nathan nodded, looking over the colored files. 

"Blue Rose and Origami Cyclone are getting some food and drinks right now; I'll give these to them later."

"Thank you." There was a slight pause, and Nathan noticed that even though the man had turned to face the door, Judge Petrov had yet to go. 

_ There's something else on his mind.  _

"Do you feel as if this person will be a danger to others?"

Antonio snorted. 

"I think Wild Tiger, Dragon Kid, Barnaby, Antonio, and Sky High could answer that better for you than I could," said Nathan, their voice low and cold. The judge sighed. 

"That wasn't what I mean and you know that. Currently, half of the city's Heroes are out of commission. I need to decide now if the police can capture this criminal without... " his voice trailed off. "Fire Emblem. If you can give me an excuse, such that this woman would only attack a certain type of person, I wouldn't have to ask non-NEXT guards to hunt them down." 

"She isn't," rasped Antonio, shaking his head. 

"Have a drink," said Nathan automatically, giving the glass back. "And say that again.”

"She won't. Her power... needs specific NEXT."

_ What does he know that I don't?  _

"Explain, please," ordered Yuri, taking a step closer to the bed. Nathan moved so that they were between the bed-bound hero and the official from the Justice courts. 

_ I'm not sure why, but I don't trust him. There's something that feels... off, every time I talk with him.  _

"Trixie... she's NEXT." 

Nathan and Yuri nodded together. 

_ A Trixie that looks like a Pixie - that'll be easy to remember.  _

"Zoopery."

_ Well, it's not everyday that I learn a new word. _

Nathan snagged their phone out of their pocket and typed the word in. 

"Well?" asked Yuri. 

"Experimentation on zoo anima..." Nathan stopped talking, their eyes widening as they stared at Antonio in disbelief. "Is that why she went after Tiger?" 

Antonio nodded, grimacing at the movement.

"She wanted Kotetsu's passion."

"Which would explain the chest surgery he's currently going through," murmured Yuri.

_ How did he get that information? They haven't even told me how Kotetsu's doing... _

Nathan drummed their fingers on the side of their arm. 

"So we have a psychotic NEXT running around free."

"Seems like a normal day in Stern Bild." Judge Petrov gave a wintry smile. "We do have Lunatic after all."

"I think," wheezed Antonio, "I prefer Lunatic." 

Nathan didn't say anything, turning to look out the window again. Off in the distance there were storm clouds rolling in, dark masses that seemed to making a beeline for the hospital. 

"Do you think she's going to try coming here?" 

Yuri shrugged. 

"How would I know a criminal's thoughts?"

"Because you deal with them every day?" came a comment from the door. "Here's your coffee Fire Emblem."

Nathan reached out and took the hot cup. Karina flicked her eyes to Yuri, then raised an eyebrow. 

"Judge Petrov was just here to drop off paperwork." 

Karina wasn't satisfied. 

"And? That can't be the only reason."

_ I bet my favorite feather boa that you either listened outside the door for a bit, or Ivan eavesdropped and shared the information. The hot pink one with sequins.   _

"I was also trying to suss out the possibility of capturing this woman before she hurts anyone else." There was a pause. "Or even if they wish to hurt anyone else." 

Nathan narrowed their eyes as a thought came bubbling up. 

_ Ugh. I don't like it, but it's probably what he's thinking. The man's sneaky enough.  _

"You want to make the hospital a trap." 

Yuri nodded. 

"And use Kotetsu as the bait." 

Immediately Karina and Ivan broke out in arguments against the idea, both of them directing their anger at the judge. Wild Tiger was too hurt, too vulnerable, too... Nathan watched, listening as both of their thoughts were methodically and coolly shot down, one by one. 

_ He doesn't look like he's going to budge though.  _

Nathan turned around when their heard a cough. 

"We... need to," said Antonio, his eyes locked onto Nathan's. "She's dangerous." 

"And it would be better to already be in the hospital," added Yuri. "In case there is a need for treatment or doctors." 

_ Is there something he knows that we don't?  _

"Would you tell me the truth?" asked Nathan, putting their hands on their hips. "If I asked what you're holding back?" 

Yuri smiled. 

"I would. I'm not holding anything back on this though; she's a dangerous criminal that needs to be captured - Lunatic doesn't attack innocent citizens." 

"To be fair, none of us Heroes are 'innocent citizens'," Nathan felt obliged to point out. "However, your point is taken."

Ivan shot Nathan a sick look of betrayal, but was kept from saying anything by Karina's hand on his shoulder. 

_ Good to know she'll back him up.  _

"Even if," continued the fire wielder, "Lunatic was willing to kill a man who tried to stop a murder, a child who accidentally had his hand on the gun when it went off during a struggle." 

Nathan observed the tailored suit, a black briefcase held by the left hand, hair falling in waves on both sides of pale green eyes.

_ Interesting. You didn't move a muscle, but I expected you to show a little sympathy as the judge you are. You might warrant an investigation.  _

"I guess," they finished, stressing the word, "it's much better that he still be around to set people on fire instead of this... woman, torturing people." 

There were a few seconds of blessed silence after their little tirade ended. Ivan shifted slight enough Nathan wasn't sure if the movement was for comfort or out of anxiousness. Yuri was still a statue, only the rise and fall of his Adam's apple showing life, and Karina, ever the firecracker, was putting her hands on her hips, scowling. 

"Are you joking? Please tell me you are." 

"No. We  **do** need to make sure that she's off the streets, and unfortunately, that way will be by providing her access to what she wanted in the first place - Kotetsu."

"But he's already so injured, I don't think he can-"

"Blue Rose."

_ I know what happened earlier was terrifying, but...  _

"We can't allow her to get away." Nathan walked over to the younger Hero and put a hand on her shoulder. "And it goes beyond saying that of course, we can't allow Kotetsu to be hurt any more than he already has been."

_ Or any of the others.  _

"It'll be up to us three to make sure that-" 

"Four."

All of them turned to look at Judge Petrov. 

"No," Nation said flatly, their voice dropping down several octaves. "We already know that she's a NEXT, and you don't have any powers to protect yourself from her. You're not going to be in here with us when she comes." 

"I can provide a distraction, or I can even handcuff her - I've had experience enough to do that." 

"You're going to be a liability," said Karina, looking him up and down. "One more person we need to watch out for." 

Yuri smiled. 

_And if that isn't wrong, I don't know what is._ _Maybe that's why he never smiles_

"There's no need to worry about me, I give you my promise. However, after she took down five Heroes today, I don't think you should turn away my generous offer." 

"He's right," rasped Antonio. "We can't." 

_ And I can feel a burden settling even firmer on my shoulders  _ worried Nathan.  _ Still... he is used to dealing with criminals...  _

"Fine," they said, giving a sharp nod even as they laid a finger against a cheek, one nail tapping gently as a focus. "You will be allowed to join us,  **but** if we give an order, you will obey immediately, no matter who it's from. I have enough to do without needing to explain to Kotetsu why a civilian got hurt for his sake." 

Yuri nodded. 

"I'll return ready... shall we say midnight? That's when the witching hour begins, after all." 

"Fire Emblem, are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Ivan, his pale eyes a little too wide.

_ Good as in utterly terrifying? Then yes. _

"No. There's too much that can go wrong to say that this is good, or even okay." Nathan strode across the room and checked on Barnaby. "On the other hand, I agree that this needs to end, and if it has to end here with others involved, then so be it." 

Karina sighed, her head leaning back so that she was staring at the ceiling. 

"This is not going to work," she said to no one in particular. "It's not going to work and we're going to be regretting it later... but fine. What's the plan?" 

"We give Wild Tiger a room of his own," said Nathan, imaging the scenario. "And we'll put everyone else together, so she'll only have two choices. It's likely that she'll want to continue with her chosen victim."

"That makes sense," added Judge Petrov. "Most criminals act in the same way." 

"We'll be with the others in the room next door, ready and waiting for her to come in." 

"How is she going to know to come here though?" asked Ivan, leaning against the wall. "If we put this information out on the internet, then  **everyone** will know that Wild Tiger's hurt. Lunatic may even try to come and get him for protecting me and Edward, and there are other people who hold a grudge." 

"Or would use this as an opportunity to attack NEXT in general," added Karina.

"Easy..." 

The four of them turned around to look at Antonio. 

"Equipment... back in the room..." He struggle to speak, then pressed his fingers against hollow of his throat. Whatever it did, it allowed him to speak almost normally. "She'll go back." 

"And that's where we can plant something that lets her know Wild Tiger's still alive." 

"She might even have cameras up and running," suggested Ivan. "Since she had all of that other electronic equipment."

"If so...she could be watching us from the moment we go back in." 

"Even earlier if they have the equipment surrounding the outside of the place too." 

Antonio let out a weak chuckle. 

"What's on your mind?" asked Nathan, shooting him a quick look. 

"Barnaby's birthday." 

_ When we did that awful play-acting.  _

Nathan laughed at that. 

"I should give you a kiss for that one. Perfect. Blue Rose, Origami Cyclone. The two of you get ready to go back, I want you geared up and ready for anything. Ask Saito-san if he has a gadget to help defend against gas attacks, since she used it before. In the meantime, I'll write up a little script for you to follow, mostly talking about how concerned you are about Wild Tiger, and how you're happy that he's safe in the hospital. We'll drop the room number as well in case she doesn't get the hint." 

"And if she's not watching, or in there?" asked Judge Petrov. "What then?" 

"Then we have another day to plan something else," said Nathan, turning to them. "But I have a feeling that they'll be sneaking in here tonight, ready to finish the job." 

_ Midnight is going to be... interesting. I wonder if I could sweet talk one of the off duty doctors into staying with us, just in case.  _

"Do we tell the others about this?" asked Karina, her eyes flickering over to Barnaby. 

"Well, Rock Bison already knows."

"You know Barnaby's going to be pissed."

Nathan nodded. 

"True. But if he doesn't know, then he can't get himself into trouble too." They clapped their hands together, gently and firmly. "Rock Bison, I trust that if they need to know, you'll tell the others." 

_ Emphasis on "if." _

Antonio nodded, his eyes already starting to drift closed. 

_ Good. He needs to sleep too.  _

"Alright, let's get going people." Nathan started to shoo the others towards the door. "We have a lot to do before midnight, even more to do before then, and not much time."

 


	8. Karina' s Key

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Tiger & Bunny in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters, settings, and plots.
> 
> Author's Warning: This is a dark fic involving torture, blood, and injury; if you don't like, don't read. Thank you for your patience... there will be one more chapter to wrap everything up.
> 
> Author's Note: My work/life balance is as bad as an upset cart of apples, but it's getting better. Slowly. :D

_ If there is ever a place I don't ever want to be in again, it's the middle of a deserted hospital at 2:18 in the morning _ thought Karina, rubbing her eyes again. The hallways were silent, there was a nurse at the main desk, and that was it. She was stuck sitting in a chair outside of Kotetsu's room, waiting for a lunatic  _ not  _ **_the_ ** _ Lunatic at least  _ to show up. 

Fire Emblem had devised the plan. Whoever was on duty would be in the hallway, waiting, and the others would be in the next room over. Last she'd seen (and heard), Barnaby had woken up, predictably demanded to know why he wasn't in the same room as Kotetsu, and had, when she'd left, been trying to get information from Rock Bison and Fire Emblem. The others, knowing how bad they were at lying to him, were blending into the wall, pretending to be asleep, and listening to music. 

_ Good luck trying to wrangle information out of those two _ , she thought.  _ They can be pretty tight-lipped when they want.  _ She looked at her phone again.  _ 2:20. And I'm out here for another ten minutes.  _

Nothing interesting had happened so far. A few nurses had walked by, in no hurry for whatever alarm they were answering. One of them had even ducked into the other room, presumably to check on either Keith, Barnaby, or change Pao-Lin’s dressings.

_ I hope Trixie decides to come back tonight. I'm going to make sure this woman pays for what she did. _

Karina's knuckles turned white with fury as she remembered how frightened she’d been, they’d all been, earlier. A creak sounded above her.  

_ What-?  _

Craning her neck, she looked up. A mass of wiry hair was hanging down from the ceiling, and a pair of circular glasses was almost hidden in the center. 

"F-" sticky, white gooey stuff shot down and covered her mouth, tasting the same as the sticky part of natto. She kicked out, hitting the wall even as the woman crawled down and entered the room. 

_ What is this crap? I can't move my jaw! _

"Blue Rose?" Fire Emblem was at her side in seconds, flicking a small flame into being on the tip of their finger. Behind them, Judge Petrov and Origami clattered into the room. "Stay still... okay, got it!" 

Small filaments rained down on the floor, and Karina stepped on one, grinding it beneath her boot heel. A thud came from the room behind them.  

_ Who was that? _

"Damn it!" snarled Nathan, barreling through the doorway, Karina gasping behind them, one hand scrabbling to get any remaining silk off from around her mouth. 

The first thing she saw was an unconscious Kotetsu. His face was pale, there were IVs feeding into both of his arms, and ugly bruises ran unchecked across exposed skin. The rest of his body probably looked much worse, considering when she’d last seen him, and thankfully he was covered with a light sheet.

_ I hate seeing you like this but at least you're alive.  _

That was the good part. The bad part was that Origami was dazed, slumped unmoving against the far wall, and Trixie was between them and the bed.

_ What is she doing now?! _

"Ah ah ah," cautioned Trixie, looking back at Kotetsu with a faint grin. "He's mine." 

_ I'm going to be sick.  _

"Looks like I'm in the right place at the right time. He can’t resist, and there are lots of lovely little sharplyies about.”

Yuri made a move towards her and she fainted away from him, getting closer to Kotetsu even as she dragged a knife out from behind her back. 

"I know where his passion is now. He carries it in his large heart. Try me, and I'll start digging." 

Fire Emblem cleared their throat. 

"If you did, your back would be to us, leaving you vulnerable."  They took a step closer. "You should give up while you can." 

"I'll never give up!" she hissed, eyes narrowing to focus on the red threat in front of her. “I need a permanent power, and his is perfect!” 

_ Wait... is that? Yes! Come on judge, get behind her!  _

"We won't let you hurt him again!" said Karina, taking her own small step forward. 

_ If I can get her to focus on us here, then maybe she won't see him sneaking up behind?  _

"You let him get hurt in the first place, so why do you think you'll stop me this time?" Trixie let out a laugh, then turned slightly to the right. "I feel you there - don't think I'm blind." 

She kicked out, managing to snag Yuri in the side even as he tried to pull back. There was a yelp as he tumbled to the bed, but it didn't come from him. Near the head, a tall, gangly young woman with long brown hair faded sheepishly into view. 

"Um... " she waggled a few fingers. "Hi Fire Emblem!" 

_ Is that grinding sound their teeth? _

Nathan put their hands on their hips, lowered voice directed at Kaede even as their eyes kept focused on Trixie.

"You’re going to leave-"

"No." She shook her head, looking to Trixie, then back to them. Her shoulders squared as she planted her feet in the space before her father. "No. She’s the reason he’s... he’s like this. I’m staying right here." 

"And she's not... getting the better... of me again..." wheezed a voice in the doorway. 

_ I'm not sure who's angrier - Trixie for having two more people against her, or Nathan for needing to worry about Kaede and Barnaby along with Yuri. _

She glanced behind her at Origami Cyclone, who was using the wall behind him to inch himself back to his feet. 

_ And Origami _ .  _ Okay Karina, project from the diaphragm, hold your head up high... _

"You’re surrounded and outnumbered. Turn yourself in, and maybe the courts will go easy on you." 

Trixie laughed, and for a few seconds the room was filled with echoing mirth. She spun around, reached out for Kotetsu, but was blocked by a determined Kaede. The villainous woman's momentum knocked the younger woman off of her feet, throwing her into Yuri; the two of them collided, then stumbled in opposite directions.

Fire Emblem created a flame ball in their hand, which had Trixie chuckling. 

"Really? We're in a hospital, with oxygen tanks and other highly flammable items." Her grin stretched across her mouth. "And you're going to play with fire? Ooh, actually, you should, that’s a really great idea. It’ll give me cover to escape.”

The fire dwindled, taking a bit of Karina's hope with it. 

_ We can't let her get away again!  _

She saw Fire Emblem launch themself at the diminutive woman, and winced when she heard a metallic clang.

_ That’s... really not playing fair.  _

Movement caught her attention. Barnaby was positioning himself in the doorway, leaning against the frame and wheezing every couple of seconds, his eyes not leaving the fight. 

_ I can’t tell. Can he not move? Or is he trying to block her escape route?  _

Origami came up next to her, and on the other side of the room, Kaede helped a hesitant Yuri up, ready and willing to get back into the fight. 

_ We've got the determination - we can handle this! _

Fire Emblem crossed their arms to block the punches being hurled their way.

“You can’t possibly think you’ll win this? Victory is mine, I’ve so many animal powers that I can use: spider, gecko, silverback gorilla, even -."

She reeled back at the hit, a protective hand cupped around her face, glasses broken, and dangling from her right ear. A thin trickle of blood ran down the side of her face.

"I don't need my fire to fight you." They curled their fingers toward the shocked woman, inviting a rebuttal.

"... you'll wish you had," laughed Trixie, tucked her hair behind her ear. The red smeared across her cheek. She stood up straight, muttered something under her breath, then launched herself at Fire Emblem, skittering quick enough that she was able to use their hip as a vaulting point to climb onto their back. Small hands snaked around the red fabric to rest against exposed skin.

_ Shit!  _

"Get off them!" Karina cried out, putting her hands together and sending out an ice blast. It was quick, but Tixie was quicker; the ice shard missed and shattered against the wall. "Fire Emblem!" 

"It's fine, nothing hurts." They shook their head, then refocused on Trixie, who was giggling. She evaded their punch, bending almost impossibly backwards for it to become a taunt. Karina watched as the two of them backed themselves into a corner, the taller and more muscular Fire Emblem towering over the petite woman... and then she ducked beneath their arms. 

They didn't move, standing and staring at the wall. The only thing Karina could hear were harsh, choking breaths.

_ Nathan? _

"What did you do to them?" asked Origami, taking a trembling step forward. 

_ He needs a concussion check.  _

"They need to be more careful. I only bite if I'm being harassed or provoked." Trixie moved towards Kotetsu, and like a spell being broken, Fire Emblem fell backwards. They hit the floor, and didn't move. 

_ Someone needs to help them! _

"Origami-" Karina bit her tongue. 

_ No, he's too unsteady. Yuri!  _

"Judge!" Karina snapped, instantly getting Yuri's attention. "Give it to Kae-Kay. Get a nurse!" 

Yuri nodded, tossing the piece of equipment to Kaede. As he darted past Barnaby and out the doorway, staying well away from Trixie, Kaede slid back into position beside her father, collar open and ready.

"... look around you girl. You can't defeat me." Trixie licked her lips. "... would your nickname be 'kitten,' perhaps? Or maybe even 'tiger cub'? You seem to be very protective of this man, and yet you're not a Hero." She looked between the two of them. "Same hair, cheekbones. It's almost like you share the same passion as well." 

"He **is** like a father to me," admitted Kaede, opening the collar. "And I'm not a Hero  **yet** ."

_ Remember your classes Kaede, don’t let the enemy goad you into giving information! _

"I won't let you get to him." 

Trixie laughed. 

"It's not like that collar will even work against me. I use my power to extract animal instincts and abilities. What I'm doing now... well. You can cinch that around my neck and I'll still have an arsenal at my fingertips." She spat, and the same whitish-gray silk that had been over Karina's mouth earlier covered the collar's opening, and half of Kaede's hand. "Though maybe I should have kept it for use on one of you. I could have gotten my prize, and then a bonus. " 

She took the final step to stand at the head of Kotetsu's bed, a finger reaching out to trace a line down the man's cheek. 

There was a jumble of sound, protests from herself, Barnaby, and Origami, but what overwhelmed them all was a scream of pure rage from Kaede, whose eyes lit up bright blue. 

"NO!" she screamed, her hands splayed in Trixie's direction. Karina heard a sharp crack, and the sound of glass hitting the ceramic floor was almost lost in the woosh of blue flames flaring to life. Trixie was cocooned in ribbons of green and blue, even as Kotetsu's hand twitched, reaching out to grab his daughter. 

_ What the hell - how did Lunatic-?! _

The fire alarm went off, but instead of putting the fire out, but the flames turned the water into a hot mist

_ Fire safety first!  _

Trixie began to scream, and the fire spread around the room, blue-green flames licking at metal, devouring cloth, and creating flare ups by eating medical supplies. Karina aimed in Trixie’s direction first, and the screams quieted down within a few seconds.

_ Is she... is she dead? Oh shit, wait, isn't Kotetsu on oxygen?! _

"Out!" she shouted, even as she kept the cold pouring in. "Everybody!" 

_ I don’t know where the canister is...  _ She kept her aim at Kotetsu’s side of the room.  _ But I don’t want us all blowing up. _

Sweat began to trickle down her face, and the rapidly spreading smoke made her cough. A flicker of heat rippled into the cold. 

_ No!  _

She could hear the others, Kaede and Barnaby calling out for Kotetsu, Origami Cyclone shouting for Fire Emblem. And was that Rock Bison's voice she heard too?

_ And we can't leave Trixie either. Dammit, I shouldn't have sent Yuri away. _

"Origami, blow this smoke away!" she shouted, choking on the acidic fumes. Something clicked. Fans roared to life, and when she could see, she saw that he'd turned both of his hands in rotating blades. In front of her was a furious, glaring Trixie, almost completely encased in ice. 

_ Got you! _

"My ice may be a little cold," purred Karina, a glowing feeling of satisfaction running through her, "but your crime has been put completely on hold."

_ And you're not going to be able to hurt us ever again. _

There was silence, and then Trixie began to laugh. 

"You may have gotten me, for now, but I've gotten one of you a bit more permanently, so no, darling." She sniggered. I've won. You've lost." 

_ Time for this lying bitch to leave. _

"Barnaby, power up." 

He opened his mouth to say something, but Kaede patted him gently on the shoulder. 

"Don't worry, I've got it." The younger woman turned away from him. "What do you need Blue Rose?" 

_ For you to graduate already - that copying power really comes in handy.  _

"Get Trixie into police custody. Find Judge, he should know what to do.” Kaede hesitated, but then nodded. She picked up the frozen woman and lugged her through the doorway, frowning the entire way. Karina watched with narrowed eyes, taking in the woman's raw, red skin where the flames had burnt through hair and clothing... and felt a little stirring of sympathy.

_ No.  _ Karina told herself sternly, squashing it.  _ After everything she's done, it's not my problem if she's been hurt. Okay, one problem down, several more to go. _

"Barnaby." The blonde flinched from where he sat, hunched over Kotetsu. "Get him out." 

He shook his head, pushing those pink glasses up his nose.

"I can't. He's hooked up to too many machines, and I don't know what to do with them." 

"Excuse me, Miss., ah, Blue Rose?" 

Karina turned to see a doctor standing in the doorway, a clipboard held over her head to keep themself a little drier. Behind were two other heads, one a mass of brown curls and the other made of carefully cultured black spikes.

"If you can keep the oxygen tank from exploding, we'll take care of Wild Tiger." 

_ Thank the gods!  _

"Not a problem," Karina looked around the room, then focused more ice to where the canister had already disappeared into a block.

"And Fire Emblem," said Origami Cyclone, pointing to where they were still lying on the floor. 

_...all this, and they haven't moved a muscle? What the fuck did that woman do?!  And is... _

"Wait! Fire Emblem first!" snapped Karina, turning to look at the doctor. "Are they breathing?!" 

The older woman ran over immediately, the one with curly hair following as the taller, bald man strolled up to Kotetsu, talking with Barnaby and pointing out specific wires to move.  

"Stacy, defib!" snapped the doctor checking the pulse point at Fire Emblem's neck. "And a BVM! Now!" 

Stacy of the curls stumbled to her feet and ran out of the room, sneakers squeaking in the doorway; the woman still kneeling tilted Nathan's head back, punched their nostrils, then breathed in.

_ Oh gods... they hadn't been breathing...  _ Karina pinched her nose so she wouldn't cry.  _ How much worse can this night get? _

"What happened?"

Karina met Barnaby's dazed green eyes, then looked at the doorway, where Rock Bison's raspy voice had come from. 

_ That was not a challenge.  _

Normally one of their strongest hitters and damage takers, Antonio was right now leaning against the doorway, eyes glued to the fallen figure. Blood drained from his face. Muscles contorted, shifting from grief to anger to sadness, and then going back to grief.

_... I don't know what to do. _

She watched as Origami approached, offering an arm.

"Let's go back-" he was cut off with a hoarse cry, and had to duck when Rock Bison waved him away a bit too vigorously. 

"No." His hands tightened around the frame, almost as if he was worried about being forced out of the room. "I'm not leaving them." 

"We need to let the doctors-"

"NO!" He wrenched his arm away and lost his balance, falling to the floor next to red boots. "Nathan, I'm here. I'm right here. You're not alone and I'm not going to leave you." 

"I'm back," panted Kaede, appearing in the doorway again. Karina could tell the moment when it hit her. The woman's smile dripped away, and there was a bitter pain in her eyes. 

_ The look of someone who's been in the same situation as Antonio, but who didn't have a good outcome.  _

"Outta the way!" shouted Stacy, appearing with her hands full. "Move it!" 

Kaede hopped to the side and the woman went straight to the doctor  _ I still don't know her name  _ handing over the pads. 

"No defib yet," the woman said. "I felt a faint beat, but they're not breathing. Bag'em, take cover, I've got tidal breathing."."

The remaining Heroes watched. Origami Cyclone kept white noise in the room with the fans, also serving to clear the lingering smoke even if some of the harsher smells didn't go away. Kaede and Barnaby watched from next to Kotetsu, each of them holding onto a hand. 

_ He's probably going to have bruises there when he wakes up.  _

And Antonio stayed where he was, shaking and shivering, but determined to keep vigil at Nathan's side. Feet.

_ I guess they're closer than I thought. _

The room was filled with counting... and then a low voice was heard. 

"Wa'z happen'?" slurred Kotetsu, his dull eyes rolling to look over the room. "Kae-"

"Shh," said Karina, moving along the side so that she could be closer. Her eyes felt gritty, as if they were on fire. 

_ One less person to worry about.  _

"You're in the hospital, and it was touch an' go for a while, but you're going to be fine, I promise."  

He looked at her, pupils blown wide open, then glanced at Kaede, who was rubbing his hand against her tear-stained face. Barnaby at his side and stroking his other hand. The male nurse who was removing still another line. Finally at the huddle on the floor. The doctor performing CPR. 

“Fire?” He struggled to sit up, abandoning that idea after just a few seconds. "Bar-"

"We don't know yet." the younger Hero said, putting a hand on the man's shoulder to make sure he stayed down on the bed.

_ How long have they not been able to breathe? How long has it been since they fell? The longer without oxygen, the more brain damage they'd have.  _ Karnia covered her mouth with a gloved hand.

"Chuck, grab a gurney."

Without a word, the guy left off of removing Kotetsu's insertions and strode out the door, his long legs taking him out of sight in a few strides.

"Fire Emblem?" asked Karina, her heart pounding. 

"Paralyzed. Not breathing." The doctor looked up with a confused expression. "What happened? This isn't normal." 

"A NEXT with animal abilities," answered Origami Cyclone, when it was clear Antonio wasn't going to speak up. "She used scorpion and jellyfish venom earlier, so this is probably from another animal." 

"Damn I hate NEXT," the doctor cursed, placing her fingers at the crook of Nathan's neck. Chuck came back in with two others and a gurney, one of them helping Antonio out of the way as Stacy checking on the mask. Less than a minute later, Fire Emblem had been transferred and they were leaving again.

The doctor coughed as she realized what she'd said. "Fuck. Sorry. That's not what I meant."

"It's okay," said Karina softly, turning toward Antonio as Nathan left the room. 

_ We're used to it.  _

"We know you mean NEXT like Trixie." 

"No," disagreed Kaede, shaking her head. "It's  **not** okay. Say you dislike villains, or criminals, or people who hurt others, something like that. Don't put your anger on a whole group of people you don't know."

"Kaede," said Kotetsu, but his daughter was on a roll. 

"Did you forget that these were the people who saved everyone from Jake? Or is anything over five years ago ancient history?" 

_ You'll learn. It doesn't matter all the good we do, most people only see the danger we cause. _

"You have no idea how hard NEXT make my job." The doctor stood up as a clattering sound came from the hallway. "Yes, you all have my thanks, but when you have to figure out out to stab unbreakable skin," her eyes flickered to Rock Bison, "set broken bones for a person who keeps shifting shapes," Origami blushed at that, "or figure out how to keep a person strapped into their bed when they're trying to run back into the fight," everyone looked at Kotetsu for that one. "Then you can tell me what my id should say when I'm tired, frustrated, and worried for my patient." 

"Will they-" Antonio cleared his throat. "Will they be okay?" He didn't look up from the floor. 

"Possibly," said the doctor with a tired sigh. "Their beat was faint, but strong, and a ventilator will allow them to breathe in controlled bursts. We'll have to do some tests to see what exactly happened, but... we should know more in a few days."

Kaede threw herself at Antonio, bursting into tears and hugging him for all she was worth. 

_...better than dead. _

"Thank you doctor..." Karina let the word trail off as she held out a hand. The woman hesitated, then shook it. 

"Dr. Levine. And thank you all," she said in return. "For everything." 

_ Hmmm... maybe Kaede has the right idea. _

"Thanks for patching us up every time we're in here," Karina replied. 

"Oh, don't thank me yet," she said. "I still want every one of you here to get thorough check up. I don't want any surprises popping up later." 

Karina took another look around the room. Near the window, she wasn't surprised to see that one of the small panes had been broken, and not far from where the glass had scattered was a blackened mark against the floor. 

_ I guess it doesn't matter anymore? Trixie's been captured. And if he honestly went and did her in right now, I don't think I'd shed a tear.  _

She looked around. Kotetsu was being wheeled away now, most the of the machines no longer connected but a few still traveling with him. Kaede was staying with Antonio, nodding to Barnaby who was limping after the stretcher. Another doctor, or nurse, was testing Origami, checking on his head injury and then someone popped into her line of sight. 

"You need to be checked as well ma'am," said a cheerful voice. "Can't let my friends blame me if we lose your lovely music." 

The damn she'd built to hold back the tears cracked, and Karina began to cry in relief. 


	9. Chapter 9

Only two of them were sitting in the room, listening to a variety of machines beep, hiss, and otherwise make noise. Their conversation had died hours ago, and so they had each spent the time caught up in their own half-guilty thoughts and wondering "what ifs." 

_ Or at least, that's what I've been doing - Sky High probably has John on his mind, or that girl he met years ago, the one with the red ribbon.  _

"This sucks," said Kaede, looking up at the ceiling and and idly wondering how indentations there were in each panel. 

"It's worth it to have a friendly face to wake up to," said Keith, smiling. 

_ How is he still happy and energetic? Don't his ribs hurt? _

She didn’t have an answer to his statement, and truth be told, he'd know more about that than she would. 

_ There's a steady exodus from the hospital at least _ she thought. Keith and Pao-Lin were outpatients for the moment, and Ivan had recovered from his concussion. Mostly they were waiting on her father and Nathan right now, since the other two, Antonio and Barnaby, were healing well and should be discharged either tomorrow or the day after. 

The door opened, and a head of honey brown hair popped in.

"Hey. Any changes?" 

_ I was so lost in my thoughts I didn't even hear it squeak. _

Kaede shook her head at Karina. The older woman sighed. 

"Ah, well, I guess it was too much to hope today'd be the day." She smiled, but it's warmth never reached her bloodshot eyes. "Keith, why don't you go home and take care of John? I'm sure he needs to go for a run or something." 

"True, and true again," laughed Keith. He laid a hand on Nathan's shoulder, said something to them in a low voice, then repeated the process with Koetsu. 

_ Even his actions are doubled.  _

As soon as the door closed on him, Karina turned to watch Kaede very carefully. 

_ Why is she staring at me like that? Does she know what really happened last night?  _

"You've heard the news, right?" Karina let out an even heavier sigh than before. "I thought you might have.." 

_ Huh? _

"Trixie. There was a fire at the prison, and she..." Karina trailed off, shaking her head. "Well. That'll get Fire Emblem off the hook completely. There were still a bunch of suspicious bastards looking to blame them for those earlier deaths, but this should shut them up completely." 

"From Lunatic?" 

_ From the same blue-green fire that had poured from my fingertips.  _

"I'm still trying to figure out why he came last night. I mean, I didn't think he cared about us. Normally he says he's trying to protect innocents, but he’s taken shots at Barnaby, Origami, and actually injured Tiger." 

_ He was there because we asked him to be. We invited him.  _ Kaede stared at her hands. A gentle knock came from the door, and it opened to reveal one of the day nurses, an ever-optimistic woman by the name of Emilia.

"Hello loves," she said, first checking in on Fire Emblem, then looking over Wild Tiger. "Well, even though it doesn't look as if much has changed, these two are truthfully doing much better today. We should be able to take Fire Emblem off of the ventilator, and Wild Tiger won't need his chest drain much longer." 

"That's a relief." Karina's words were exactly what Kaede was thinking. "One of us should go tell Barnaby and Rock Bison the good news; Origami Cyclone and Sky High can be texted." 

_ Freedom!  _

"I'll go," said Kaede, jumping to her feet. There was a part of her itching to do something, even an action as simple as walking across the hallway to the other room. 

"Thanks."

She strode over to the door, turning back to see Karina walk up to her dad and asking Emilia for more details. 

_ Looks like she hasn't gotten over that crush. I feel kinda sad for her that dad never saw it, but it might have been really weird to have her as a step-mom. She's much cooler as a big sister.  _

One step into the hallway, and Kaede froze. Behind her, the door clicked shut. 

"Good afternoon Kaede. "

_ It's him.  _

Her eyes slipped from his wavy grey hair and took in his tie, tracing the electric blue and neon green. 

_ Those are Lunatic's colors. How has everyone just passed that off a crappy tie? _

"Um, good afternoon Judge Petrov." She nodded, not meeting his eyes. 

She saw the small smile that flickered across his face, and it looked odd. Brittle. 

_ Almost exactly like dad's smiles in all those photos after mom died.  _

"Could talk to you in private for a few moments? I promise I won't keep you long." 

_ Oh fuck! He knows I know !  _

She looked to the door across the hallway.

"I was just, ah, going to tell Barnaby how dad's doing, would that be-"

"Perfectly fine." He brushed some of his hair back, then turned, taking a step toward the stairs. Stopped. "I'll be waiting on the roof when you're ready." 

_ I'm going to die.  _

Methodically, she walked into what had been nicknamed the "Stubborn Up" room, between Uncle Antonio's repeated requests to change places with dad, and Barnaby who kept trying to sneak over to the other room. At this point the nurses had set up a whole betting playboard and pool

"Hey Kaede!" 

"Hey cub."

They both stared at her, and she smiled. 

_ Not a word and I already know what they want.  _

"Fire Emblem and Wild Tiger are doing much better," she said, her mind only half on repeating the news. "They should be off the ventilator and he'll be getting rid of the chest drain."

There were cheers, smiles, and a high five that left Barnaby wincing. 

"And Trixie's dead." 

_ Oops! I didn't mean to say that! _

"Couldn't have happened to a better person," rumbled Uncle Antonio, his eyes dark with fury. "Look, I know what Tiger believes in, but there are a few cases where I don't think there's any hope, and that 'woman' was one." 

_...all these years and I had no idea that he had such a dark side.  _

She let her gaze linger on him. He wasn't as pale anymore, and his muscles had finally stopped trembling every time he went to move. 

"Aww, don't look at me like that Kaede." He huffed, eyes sliding away from her. "I'm allowed to be angry that she took us, injured us, and almost killed us." 

Kaede's hands twisted as she thought about what could have happened only minutes later.

"Thanks for coming in to tell us about those two. Maybe I can sneak in there after lunch comes around," mused Barnaby. 

"If you want Maria to win, go for it. But Yukiko's got her bet on before dinner, and Heath has his on 2AM." 

Barnaby cocked his head to the side, glasses flashing in the sharp light.

"Maybe I should pick a totally different time then - break all of their bets." 

They all laughed a little at that. 

"Hey, kiddo. You okay?" 

_ Maybe. I don't know yet.  _

Kaede nodded, reaching out to give her uncle a fist bump.

"I need to go to talk to Judge Pertov about some things,” she said, hearing the words come out slowly. The two of them just nodded.

“Probably about Tiger, though for once it wasn't him doing the damage.”

“It could be about Kaede joining when she graduates,” Barnaby pointed out. “That’s only a year or two away. I don't know who would be interested in sponsoring another Hero pair though.”

_ Two years that feel like a lifetime.  _

“And he’s probably taken an interest in her power since-“

Kaede snorted.

_ Ain’t that the truth! Mostly recent though, since he was flung into me and I copied his power. _

Barnaby shook his head.

“It really it useful. I mean, you were able to keep a clear head and help out. That’s really what any Hero needs to do.”

_ I set. A living person. On fire.  _

“...Kaede?” Uncle Antonio's eyebrows were drawn together when she checked. “You’re spacing out a bit there... you okay?”

“You should go get some sleep. You know where the spare key is, so when you're done talking with Yuri, go ahead and use my apartment to crash. It's closer. And cleaner."

_ Sure. Sleep.  _

“Yeah...” Kaede shook her head. “Thanks Barnaby. I... I might do that.”

“Don’t run yourself into the ground taking care of us,” grumbled Antonio. "We'll heal. Always do after all." He waved a hand at her, and Kaede found herself taking iron-laden steps to the door.

“Nice seeing you,” she said, the words slipping out stilted and wooden.

_ Wait. I shouldn’t just confront Lunatic without a power.  _

She walked back and patted Barnaby’s hand.

“Kaede? What was that for?” His voice was suspicious, but the look in his eyes was pure confusion.

_ He doesn’t know anything, and I want to keep it that way. I mean... maybe Yuri does just want to talk about dad. _

“Just trying to give you a little bit of energy... though to listen to the nurses, you probably don’t need it.”

The three of them shared a laugh again, and Kaede took that chance to slip out the door. 

_ Am I really going to the roof and meeting with him?  _

The trembling of her limbs convinced her this was real, the faint smell of cigarette smoke in the stairwell adding to the layer. She climbed three floors up, then slowly, cautiously, opened the roof access door. 

“I must admit, I was half expecting you to either not show up, or to show up with a few others behind you." 

She started, falling backwards a little bit, and in that instant Yuri grabbed her hand, keeping her anchored on the landing.

_ No! _

Kaede jerked her hand away, rubbing it and feeling tears prickling at her eyes. Now all she could use was his power against him.

_ I'm not going to let him see me cry! _

“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t tell everyone down there what your power looks like,” threatened Kaede, her whispered voice echoing.

Yuri just glanced at her for that remark, retreating to sit down on one of the benches that dotted the rooftop. He patted the seat next to him and waited for her to follow. Kaede didn't sit down, but stood nearby on the balls of her feet, stance wide and shoulders squared. Only when the door shut with a loud clang did he continue.

"I need you as a partner.”

_ What?! _

“You’re crazy!” 

“I have my reasons," Yuri continued, his voice even. "The end result might look to be without them though.  For example, did you know that as long as you hold my power, with a little control you're immune to my flames?”

Mutely, she shook her head. 

“Does that make you feel a bit better now? More at ease?”

_ That you're not going to kill me? Maybe? _

The shaking turned into a nod. A curt one with no warmth in it. 

“As to why I’ve decided I need a partner...” he trailed off, looking into the sky. There were no birds around, but off the in the distance an airplane glinted in the sunlight. “I’ve decided that I've made some bad decisions.”

_ No shit!  _

“Like hurting my father!?” She exploded. 

“I also saved him,” Yuri reminded her. “When everyone else was against him and he had no one, I might add. Did anyone remember to tell you that?" 

Kaede opened her mouth, then frowned, tapping the side of her cheek, well aware that she was mimicking Nathan.

"No... they didn't." 

Yuri didn't seem concerned; he shrugged as if that was a normal reaction. 

_ Or that's how he expects life to be, everyone and everything against him. _

"In their cases, it's probably due to how the fake memories Maverick implanted broke apart. They had a hard enough time remembering that they turned on Wild Tiger, so I'm quite sure they forget that I had shown up to help him. As for Wild Tiger himself, I know he was trying to protect the younger you at that time, so he most likely didn't speak of it for that reason. Also, he'd had a long day." 

Kaede snorted at the understatement. 

_ We thought he'd died.  _

"You are one of few people whose power would be an absolute equal to mine, granting flight and immunity along with an offensive range. In addition, you have a quick mind, a strong sense of loyalty, and have no hesitation to tell a person when they are acting badly." 

"How do you know all this about me?" she asked, shifting on her feet. She took a step, then walked over to the bench. It creaked when she sat down. They were as different as night and day; his post saw him with his hands together, braced on his knees as he hunched forward, propping up his head at the jaw. She was leaning forward as well, elbows also on her knees, but her open hands were crossed at the wrists and dangling above the ground.

He didn't look as if he murdered. He didn't have the bearing of someone who set people on fire for fun. He looked... human. Even a bit broken.

_ Maybe it's true what they whisper around school. That villain and Hero are just two sides of the same coin. _

"I'm in charge of the Heroes program, from start to finish." He smiled at her. "I've seen the recommendations your teachers have written for you. I've even talked with a few of them about your abilities. Who's idea was it to take emergency first responder classes?"

"Mine," admitted Kaede. "It's just... something all of us should know. Just in case."

_ I hate to think of how many people were injured because Heroes moved them incorrectly. Then again, there are some times when the need to get someone out of a place outweighs keeping a broken bone still.  _

"I agree. And yet, you are the first to do something about it. Not the first to talk about it," he said. "Nor the first to bring it up. But certainly the first to do anything about it specifically for being a Hero. Out of eight Heroes, only Fire Emblem and Sky High are certified. One through their work programs involving CPR and using defibs, the other due to being a boy scout leader, and programs through that."

The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes, Kaede sneaking peeks at Yuri and trying to think about what was going on in his mind. 

"I'm not stopping my crusade." He let his head tilt back, talking in the cloud peppering the sky. "Those who take another's life deserve to have their own lives taken." 

She bit her tongue as he held up a hand. 

"But I need someone to guide me. To keep me on track. I'm... disgusted, to say the least, with myself and Edward Keddy's case. He was honestly trying to do his best to help, and that was an accident. Preventable in his case if he had simply stayed away, but most likely with the same outcome, the gun only moving from his hand to the criminal's."

_ What would I be doing? _

Kaede asked the question, letting it settle between the two of them. 

"A partner would, first of all, help me research. Then they would follow up with me on those already deemed dangerous, but allowed to go free due to a lack of evidence, or an excess of money. If nothing has changed, and they don't feel remorse for their actions, then everything else would be up to me."

"You want me to help you kill people?!" She was on her feet, fists clenched. 

_ Maybe I can punch him off the roof? No, he'll just fly away. _

"Not at all." Yuri met her gaze, strong in his conviction as she was in hers. "I want you to help me choose who lives." 

_ His eyes are so pale...  _

_ " _ If it's up to only me, they'll all die. Your clear head, however, could save another Edward from my flames." 

_... me? Choose who you don't attack? Isn't that the same thing as choosing who to kill?  _

She tried to swallow, and it felt as if ice was stuck in her throat. 

"I wouldn't ask you if I didn't think you could help me," admitted Yuri. "After doing so much on my own, it's hard asking for a partner."

_ But he's doing so now, so there is the possibility for him to change...  _ Kaede looked at him, taking in hunched shoulders.  _ He said he'd listen to me, so if I tell him no for everyone, would that mean he wouldn't kill them?  _

"How..." she coughed. "And I'm not saying yes by asking , but how exactly would this work?" 

"I would pick out the files, and we would go over them together, you steering me away from the few innocents and me amassing a collection of the sinners. " 

"Where do you pick your victims from?" 

He laughed at that. 

"My victims come mainly from the judicial system. The people that get away with literal murder. Sometimes I see something when patrolling the city, and I'll either take care of the problem then and there, or make notes to follow it up later. In a few rare cases, the criminal has decided to kill in a way that was broadcast by Hero TV."

_ Bullshit! _

Kaede rolled her eyes and shook her head. 

"I've watched Agnes's program for years, including her stupid holiday specials, and I've never seen anything like that."

"Of course not," nodded Yuri. "The woman is extremely skilled at her craft. She, and those that follow her, do their best to blur it out, or edit it on the fly. With as many people as she has watching it, it would be hard on anyone to see the death of a loved one of live TV." 

_... that's a convenient answer.  _

He watched her for a little bit. 

"Have you finished with your questions?" 

She thought about it, then nodded. 

"Then I would like to ask you one, if you don't mind." Yuri took a deep breath, almost as if to brace himself for the answer. "Why haven't you told anyone? About yesterday?" 

Kaede shrugged.

_ I'm honestly not sure myself. _

"Who would I tell?" 

_ Most of them are still recovering, and we wouldn't be able to bring you in.  _

"I don't agree with you. Not with your reasons, not with how you do it. But..." Kaede hesitated, trying to think of how she wanted to put it. "I do think you do good too. I've heard from my dad that you've looked out for him. Barnaby has nothing but praise for you. I don't want to hurt them any more than they've already been."

"...your heart is a good guide." Yuri stood up. "I don't require you to make a decision right now. In fact, you can take a few days to think it over. I only ask that that you keep my powers a secret."

She nodded. 

_ Fair enough. And if he does something, then I can always tell someone. _

"I'll assume that if I don't hear from you, you're not interested. The longest I'll wait is one week."

_ What would you do if I say no?  _ Kaede wondered.  _ Find a new person to ask? _

Yuri held the door open for her, shutting and locking it behind him. Together they tramped down the stairs, back to those waiting below, each silent. 

_ I'm not going to make a decision today, nor even tomorrow. Tonight, I'm going to go to Barnaby's apartment, soak in his huge tub, and have a beer or two from the fridge. I just need a little me time. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of Zoopery - I hope you enjoyed reading the story!   
> Feel free to let out a wild Roar via Kudos or Comment, and let me know what you think :)

**Author's Note:**

> Let out a Wild Roar through a review or kudos!


End file.
